


Hisoka's X Prey

by AmaraSessh



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: 14/15 maybe?, And intense Hisoleo, Hisoleo - Freeform, Illugon, Like, M/M, Me Neither, Perverted Killua, Romance, Slash, Some fluff(maybe) for Illugon, and hiding, and there will be more chasing, and there will be running, can you believe this isn't rated E or M?, episode/chapter rewrite, i don't know what else to tag this as?, kurakillu, shota?, there will be chasing, which episode? shit i dont remember
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-09-07 18:25:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8811442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmaraSessh/pseuds/AmaraSessh
Summary: An alternate universe where Leorio is Hisoka's target, Gon has an odd love for oddities, and Killua is a very curious individual. We are back at Zevil island with the gang trying their best to be Hunters. Hisoka decides to have a little fun and test Leorio's skills. Will Leorio qualify Hisoka's expectations and move on to become a hunter or will Hisoka crush Leorio's dreams and even kill him? Gon is intrigued with Gittarackur's(Illumi) needles, but what risks will he take to become Gittarackur's friend? Killua is incredibly confused and annoyed. Is Kurapika a boy or a girl? When he comes across his unconscious friend will Killua do the unspeakable? Stay tuned~





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a long while since I've mustered up the courage to write. So sorry to the people who've been waiting for some Hisoleo fanfiction from me. Unfortunately this isn't the Sequel to, "Late Night Surprise." I've been busy with myself and struggling with myself, but moody thoughts aside I hope you'll like this! I hope you're open to the extra crack ships I have in store for you all.
> 
> I would also like to thank my friend SuperSaiyanHollow(from AO3) for being my beta and helping me improve on my writing skills and broadening my vocabulary. It really means a lot to me. Note that I've used both the manga and anime to help me with this fanfiction. If it's going to have a sequel is debatable and depends on you the reader. So I hope you like this.
> 
> Disclaimer***  
> Rated: T+  
> M/M, Slash, boy x boy(whatever you wanna call it)  
> Some Violence  
> Underage/shotacon  
> I do not own this story or the characters. I would be on a worst hiatus then Togashi would ever be. Trust me~  
> That reminds me to mention, I'm not a frequent updater so~ yeah.
> 
> Ships: Hisoka/Leorio, Illumi/Gon, Kurapika/Killua

**Exam Phase Four;**

**The Fourth Phase of the exam will be taking place on Zevil Island. Each person draws a number which corresponds to the ID number of their target. The ID tag of their target is worth 3 points, their own ID tag is worth 3 points, and all other ID tags are worth 1 point. Each applicant must collect 6 points in order to pass this phase of the exam. Any method to steal your target's ID tag is allowed, that includes killing your target and taking the tag off the corpse. Good luck to the lot of you!**

* * *

“I’d like to commend everyone on board for their excellent work during the Hunter Exam’s Third Phase! I will serve as your guide. My name is Khara! It will take two hours for this boat to reach Zevil Island, all twenty-four applicants…”

Hisoka paid no mind to the pretty, little, redhead giving out instructions. Although, he must applaud her for keeping up with her cheery, happy attitude despite the depressing atmosphere washing over the ship.

“Tag 403, huh?”

Yellow orbs shift from the wooden floor and dart toward the man leaning comfortably against the ship’s wooden rail a little ways away, making idle conversation with his friend. This man, this tall, lanky man was his target.

Hisoka’s brow twitches from both annoyance and disappointment. It seems the Fourth Phase wouldn’t be as interesting after all. The Trick Tower had been a huge let down. Far too easy for Hisoka’s liking. Even the guy with the scars gave Hisoka a boring time. Hisoka believes his name was Togari or something close? He can’t recall. Hisoka was never good with keeping track of names. More specifically, keeping track of weaklings.

Hisoka sighs dejectedly and slumps against the wooden rail.

“Worried?” Gittarackur asks, Hisoka catching his attention.

“No, I’d say not.”

Shakily, Gittarackur turns his head to his left side to have a better view of Hisoka. It’s kind of a struggle moving with all the needles lodged into his head and neck. “You don’t phase me as one who gets easily scared.” His small eyes scan Hisoka’s features. “You’re irritated?” It didn’t come out as a question, more so like a statement.

“Well, aren’t you keen~.” Hisoka doesn’t tear his gaze away from his target; he simply  acknowledges Gittarackur with a grin.

“How odd, I expected you to be more excited. Don’t you get a jolly out of slaughtering?”

“Are you kink shaming me?” Hisoka stares at the man sitting beside him. His eyes trace the Needleman’s course features and counting each needle in Gittarackur’s cranium. It never ceases to amaze Hisoka how different Gittarackur looks compared to his true face. “I don’t exactly just like killing. I often search for a challenge, and my target,” Hisoka explains as he returns his gaze towards examinee 403, “won’t be much of a challenge.”

Gittarackur shifts his gaze from Hisoka and towards the man he’s glaring at. His head snaps back in place like a toy, alarming some of the passengers sitting beside him as he quickly recognizes the unfortunate target. “Ah, Leorio Paradinight,” Gittarackur hums in thought. “Born on March 3rd in a small town in Spain. He’s 193cm tall and weighs 85kg.”

Hisoka chuckles. “Already done your homework, I see~.”

“All in the sake of knowing what type of people _he_ is associating himself with.” Gittarackur spares examinee number 99 a glance before staring back at Leorio. “His history doesn’t include anything about him studying or practicing any form of martial arts.” But, of course, Hisoka knew this. Both men can see Leorio’s aura silently flow together whilst slowly leaking out of the pores of his body. “He obviously hasn’t mastered his Nen either,” Gittarackur points out. He shakily looks back at Hisoka again. “Will you pursue his tag regardless or will you find three other unfortunate examinees to dismay?”

Hisoka hums in thought, examining Leorio’s form from head to toe. Leorio’s tall and lean, maybe his suit is hiding muscles. His aura brightly shifts along with his emotions like an open display, though, it’s not like the man even tries to hide his outbursts and displeasures. Just like the time Leorio confronted Hisoka in the fog, face morphed into a hard scowl and aura showing no fear whatsoever despite the odds being so strongly against him. His bravery combined with his assertive self is the whole reason why Hisoka ruled Leorio as eligible to carry on with the Hunter Exam.

Hisoka tilts his head watching as Leorio snickers with Kurapika, examinee 404. Hisoka’s brows raise, liking very much the cute, lopsided grin Leorio is making. The man looks charming, not to mention his aura is calmly rippling with relaxation and cheeriness. Leorio isn’t even aware that his aura is causing some of the examinees around him to relax. The depressing atmosphere around the ship is now leaving, though not completely. Leorio has a doctor vibe. That’s a good thing considering Leorio’s chosen career path. Hisoka remembers overhearing that part being said during Leorio’s and Kurapika’s conversation on the Phantom Troupe and the fallen Kurta clan.

Now that Hisoka’s remembering further, he has seen Leorio without his suit before. It was during the First Phase of the exam when Leorio confronted him in the fog. Hisoka remembers only seeing his bare upper body. Leorio may not have rippling, bulging muscles like Hisoka, but he still has plenty to spare. Hisoka licks his upper lip as he remembers the barely forming abdominal muscles on Leorio’s near flat stomach, the lighter shade of tan on Leorio’s chest compared to his neck and arms, and the way his body glistened with sweat from running all those miles. Had Hisoka not been occupied with playing examinee, he might have taken a moment to admire Leorio’s build. Maybe even savored it a bit-

“So?” Gittarackur interrupts Hisoka’s train of thought.

“What?” Hisoka raises a brow in question, looking back at the other man.

“It’s rude to ignore others acknowledging you, you know?” Gittarackur shook his head in disapproval, though to others it may have looked like the man’s head shook uncontrollably. “My earlier question: Will you pursue Leorio for his tag or take out three other victims for theirs instead?”

“Hmm,” Hisoka hums in thought while cupping his own chin. He looks up to the sky, searching for an answer he already had. “Well, I guess I could play examiner again~.”

“Oh?” Gittarackur raises a brow, as best as he could anyway. He would ask Hisoka why the sudden change in attitude, but he couldn’t care less if he’s being honest with himself. Besides, knowing the man, Hisoka is probably getting off at the thought of drawing blood from examinee 403. He’ll never understand the joy in Hisoka’s hobbies, though Gittarackur admits he’s had some pleasures now and again in dismembering a few targets… especially the ones proven to be a handful… oh. Does this mean he and Hisoka have more in common than he thought? Is Gittarackur equally sick? Should he kink shame himself-

“My, my! It looks like someone has got their eye on you~,” Hisoka coos, breaking the other out of his thoughts. Gittarackur gave Hisoka a deadpan look, questioning him silently. Hisoka responds by raising his hand and pointing his index finger towards an examinee. Gittarackur’s eyes dart towards the being Hisoka is gesturing at.

“Examinee 405, Gon,” Gittarackur acknowledges with a bit of a hiss at the end. He watched as said Hunter applicant jolts in surprise from being caught. “Gon Freecss.”

Gon immediately looks away from him, feigning conversation with Examinee 99, Killua Zoldyck. Gon’s ears and neck burn a red shade, embarrassed from staring at the Needleman so obviously. Killua raises a brow at the flustered boy before looking at Gittarackur for a second. He immediately looked back at Gon, snickering about something while pointing his finger at Gittarackur. Gon’s ears turn redder.

“Aren’t they cute together?” Hisoka comments, though Gittarackur doesn’t tear his gaze away from the young boys. “They’ve certainly become more than acquainted with each other.”

Gittarackur hums. “They’ve been attached to the hip since they’ve met. What were the odds Killua would find someone his age here? I guess just about anyone can take the Hunter exam with ease.”

“You’d be surprised at the things Gon can do. Little guy nailed me in the jaw a while back.” Hisoka’s grin grew wider, watching as Gittarackur intently observed the young applicants. He can see the small glimmer of interest in the other’s eyes. He can deny Gon all he wants, but Gittarackur will soon too be drawn to the boy’s charm. Gon’s got that type of power and grip on people. “He may not seem like much, but even you should know not to judge a book by its cover. Why, look at Killua for example! Such a young boy; no one would suspect him to be a top class assassin.”

Gittarackur hums in response. It’s true, no one has caught onto Killua’s identity. Hisoka may be right about Gon having special qualities for his age, but the boy stuck out like a sore thumb. In every phase, Gittarackur had caught the boy staring; certainly not assassin material. Like Hisoka said, Gon probably caught some sort of strange liking to him. Gittarackur isn’t sure why since even he admits his appearance isn’t appealing, a bit upsetting to look at.

The first time he caught Gon staring was during the First Phase of the exam when the two had accidentally bumped into each other. Instead of running away frightened by Gittarackur’s horrid appearance, which was to be expected, Gon remained gazing at Gittarackur in awe and apologized repeatedly while bowing a number of times. Wanting to stop the flustered boy, Gittarackur responded by patting Gon on the head as if to show that there were no hard feelings. Ever since, Gon’s had his eyes glued to the Needleman like a moth to a flickering light. Gittarackur shrugged it off at first, thinking he left Gon in a stunned state but never did it cross his mind that he had left an impression on the eleven year old. Soon Gittarackur found the boy staring at him all through the exam: he caught Gon staring when they had reached the end of the First Phase, when they were catching and cooking the wild boars’, when they were resting on the air-ship, and again after finishing the Third Phase. Gittarackur caught Gon searching for him and silently beaming when he finally spotted him. It was annoying. Especially, when Gon would be so close to Killua while doing so. Why can’t Killua be that excited to see him…? Oh right, because Gittarackur is in disguise.

Gittarackur just can’t see why Hisoka and Killua developed such an interest in Gon. The boy isn’t that special.

“Hey, Gittarackur!” Killua calls out from his spot. Said man silently beams at being acknowledged by the little assassin.

“Oh, calling out to his big brother I see~?” Hisoka hums, quiet enough for him and Gittarackur to hear.

Killua had a wide, teasing grin on his face while waving with one hand to catch Gittarackur’s attention. With his smile stretching wider, Killua cups his hands together over his mouth and yells, “Gon thinks you’re weird!”

“Killua!” Gon shouts back angrily, catching everyone’s attention in the ship and causing a scene. Gon looks back towards Gittarackur, panic written all over his face and shouts passionately, “I think you’re cool!”

There was an awkward silence in the crowd, all except for the shrieking seagulls and the muffled laughter of both Killua and Hisoka. There was a light, pink flush on Gon’s face, one that Gittarackur couldn’t help but stare at for longer than a second. He snaps his head swiftly towards Hisoka, choosing to ignore the boy.

“How rude,” Hisoka scolds, watching Gon’s bottom lip pucker out in a disappointed pout before glaring at a still laughing Killua. “He just wanted to make friends with you~.”

“I’m not looking to make friends. Zoldycks don’t need friends,” Gittarackur responds. “And, Killua should know better.” Gittarackur side glances at Killua, the boy is still teasing an angry, red-faced Gon. “Oh, Killu,” Gittarackur sighs. “When will you learn?”

“Oh, come now. Gon isn’t all that bad.”

“I still don’t know what you both see in him.”

Hisoka chuckles. “He’s a fun boy, even Killua was drawn by his light.” Hisoka pulls himself up from his sitting position on the wooden floor and stands to his feet, eyeing the island as it grew closer. Gittarackur followed suit. “He’s full of surprises. Maybe you’ll learn to like him too.”

“I already read his bio. He's just another island hic. I don't need to learn anything further than that,” Gittarackur sneers, looking the island’s way and internally groaning when he spots Gon shyly staring at him from the corner of his eyes. 

“Whatever you say, shotacon~.”

“What was that?”

“Oh, nothing~.” Hisoka chimes. He looks Leorio’s way, whom only leers at him before turning his attention to Kurapika. Hisoka’s smile grew wider, already sensing the fun that’s to come during _their_ stay on Zevil Island. How long will Leorio last before cracking under the pressure of Hisoka’s presence? A better question: Would he pass Hisoka’s _test?_

“Thanks for your patience, everyone. We’ve finally arrived at Zevil Island!” Khara announces once the ship came to a rocking stop. Crew members placed a wood plank down, serving as a bridge from the ship to the island. “Now, please disembark in the order by which you cleared the Third Phase!”

Leorio huffs, “This again?” Both he and Kurapika stand to their feet, giving Khara their attention.

“After each person disembarks, we’ll wait two minutes before the next person’s turn,” Khara continues, showing off the timer she had in hand.

“That means we’ll be waiting here a while,” Killua presumed, earning an agreed hum from Gon. Both boys leaned against the wooden rail as the other hunter contestants gathered around Khara.

“You will stay on this island for exactly one week. During your time, you must amass your six points of ID tags and return here.” Khara shifts her gaze around, making sure everyone understood her terms. “All right then!” She exclaims, “The first person may start!”

Leorio narrows his eyes once Hisoka stepped forward. Walking down the wooden plank with a wide smile plastered on his face, Leorio couldn’t help but scoff at the smug look on the jester’s features.

“I understand…,” Kurapika spoke. “Those who disembark earlier hold the advantage.”

“Yeah,” Leorio nods, “They can hide and monitor their target’s movement.” Leorio huffs, glaring hard at Hisoka’s backside. The cocky son of bitch knows he’ll get those six points easy. He can practically hear Hisoka’s mocking chuckle in the back of his head, flaunting his six points around with the biggest smirk on his face. If Leorio could, he’d punch that smirk right off that magician’s face. A powerful punch that even Hisoka wouldn’t see coming. People would name it the Warp Punch-

“Careful, Leorio. You’ll end up with wrinkles, if you keep pulling that face,” Kurapika interrupts Leorio’s train of thought. “Surely won’t help for someone your…supposed age,”

“You calling me old again, Kurapika?” Leorio huffs, glancing down at his friend.

Kurapika chuckles, smiling up at Leorio. “You’re glaring at Hisoka more than usual. Is he your target?” Kurapika asks, internally wishing for his friend not to have a target as complicating as Hisoka. The gods only know what struggle Leorio would go through if such a thing ever comes to fruition.

Leorio gawks, completely forgetting about checking out Hisoka’s ID number. “I’m not sure. I wasn’t looking at his tag exactly, but…” Leorio looks back towards the other’s backside. Hisoka is now entering the forest, his physique being hidden by branches, bushes, and shadows. “Hisoka has been eyeing me the entire time we were sailing here.” Leorio balls his hand into a fist, lightly slamming it into his other open palm. “I bet he’s looking to settle things.” Leorio’s bruised cheek throbbed as he remembered his last encounter with Hisoka. The magician had knocked Leorio out with a single blow to his face during the First Phase of the exam. Leorio’s thankful his teeth are still secured in place, but his cheek still hurt annoyingly. Leorio swears next time he sees the bastard he’ll make Hisoka sorry he’s ever met Leorio Paradinight.

“He has…?” Kurapika’s brows furrow downward. He cups his chin in thought. “Could it be you’re his target, perhaps?”

Leorio’s breath hitched. A fearful shudder tickled his spine at the thought of Hisoka hunting him down for his ID tag. All thoughts of teaching Hisoka a painful lesson drift away from mind.

_“Any method to steal your target's ID tag is allowed, that includes killing your target.”_

Leorio’s blood ran cold. He knew he was risking his life the minute he signed up for the Hunter Exam, but actually dying no less than by Hisoka’s hands?! Leorio can already picture it: Hisoka hovering over his dead corpse with a single, bloody card in hand, smiling widely with blood spattered on his outfit-

“I could be wrong!” Kurapika immediately follows, seeing that Leorio became visibly shaken. Leorio had turned pale after Kurapika voiced out his thoughts. Kurapika waves his hands in an attempt to erase the probably terrifying thoughts going through Leorio’s head. “It could be something else.”

“Oh yeah, like what?” Leorio asks, hoping someone else is targeting him. He prays to the gods above. Anyone but Hisoka, please. Someone less intimidating would be nice. Someone like Tonpa?

“I don’t know, maybe…,” Kurapika hums in thought, eyeing Leorio up and down. “Maybe he’s trying to guess your age?”

“I told you, I’m a teen too!” Leorio near shouts, startling some of the people around him. He huffs and crosses his arms. “And, I’m sure Hisoka can tell too!”

Kurapika honestly doubts that theory. Hisoka probably thinks Leorio is older than he is. Kurapika doubts anybody here thinks Leorio is younger. “That could be one of many possibilities, Leorio. Hisoka probably lost himself in a daze and you were in his line of sight.” Kurapika shrugs, extending his index finger from his balled up hand. “Or maybe he was staring at another Hunter applicant you so happened to be in the way of. The possibilities are endless.”

Kurapika watched Leorio ponder the likelihood of his reasonings, hoping the taller man wouldn’t ask for more possibilities. He lied when he said his last sentence. He wasn’t sure what other possibilities there could be for Hisoka’s staring. The last possibility being that Leorio is actually Hisoka’s target, and Kurapika doesn’t want to make Leorio panic more than he already is.

“I guess you’re right… I hope you’re right,” Leorio mutters, his chest becoming lighter from the chances. _There's no way the universe hates me that much to make me Hisoka's target._

Kurapika silently sighs in relief. “But,” Kurapika frowns as his brows furrow, giving Leorio a serious expression, “be on high alert.”

Leorio’s brows raise from the sudden attitude. He swallows thickly, giving Kurapika the same stern look and nods along with him in understanding. Even if Hisoka is targeting Leorio or not, Leorio should keep his guard up nonetheless. The Fourth Phase of the exam is deadlier than the past three phases and everyone here has their own method of taking their target’s tag. Leorio must stay alert to anyone he comes across even Hisoka. If the two face off again then Leorio will have no choice but to fight. He’s becoming a hunter no matter what!

Killua stared down at Leorio and Kurapika as the two had their conversation. Even if they are a farther distance away from Killua, and with the silent mutter of the crowd blending with their chat, Killua can still make out the discussion between the older teens. _“Leorio is as good as dead,”_ Killua thought. He shook his head in pity; it was nice knowing the _old_ man. Hisoka is way stronger and clever than Leorio. While Hisoka has proven to have experience in manslaughter, Leorio looks as though he’s never won a fight in his life, couldn’t even harm a fly. Leorio is right to fear for his life. Hisoka won’t show him mercy.

Killua eyes Leorio’s backside, up and down. He’s lanky and lean. Killua isn’t picking up any threatening vibes from Leorio compared to Hisoka whose appearance is anything but inviting. How does Leorio plan on defending himself from Hisoka? Does he plan on having Kurapika’s help?

Killua’s eyes tear away to stare at said Kurta. Kurapika isn’t very threatening either. Sure, they have their wits and a bit of combat skills too, but Killua doubts it will help with Hisoka. Even if Leorio and Kurapika team up, the outcome may not be pretty. Maybe Kurapika can talk their way out of Hisoka dismembering both them and Leorio? That sure seems like a lost cause.

Killua narrows his eyes at Kurapika, scanning their appearance angrily. A vein pops on his forehead, and his brows twitch in annoyance as his eyes dart from broad shoulders, to a small waist, to short hair, and to slender hands. _“What are you?”_ He wonders, eyes practically boring into Kurapika’s spine.

Is Kurapika a boy or a girl?

“What’s wrong, Killua?” 

"Nothing," he responds, not even sparing Gon a glance. Eyes still squinting with a disgruntled look on his face, he clicks his tongue and looks elsewhere, dismissing the matter for now. He isn’t even sure why the thought bothers him. It’s not like his views of the Kurta would change if they were a girl. It’s just itching curiosity.

“It doesn’t seem like nothing,” Gon says under his breath. He crosses his arms together as he looks over at whoever Killua is glaring at. Kurapika? Did he do something to annoy Killua? 

“The second person may start!” Khara exclaims.

Gon’s gaze soon tears away from his friend and towards Gittarackur. Gon’s arms straighten, body leaning on its side to watch the man leave.

Gon stared long and hard at the man, counting the needles on his head again. He’s intrigued by his peculiar appearance, from the way those needles tremble in place to the way his strained skin twitched. Gon’s sure no one has noticed considering everyone is too afraid of Gittarackur to stare for so long. Hisoka is probably the only other who’s noticed since he spends the most time with Gittarackur. Gon wonders if Hisoka has seen Gittarackur without the needles in his head. Does he use them for a form of attack like Hisoka’s cards or do the needles serve a purpose? By the way Gittarackur shakes violently, Gon guesses they are to keep him from falling apart? It’s a tough call. Gon would ask the needleman but said man seemed bothered by Gon. Almost like the sight of Gon irked him.

“Gon.”

Said boy looks back towards Killua straightening. The ex-assassin is boring holes into the back of Kurapika’s head again. Gon glanced at Kurapika before staring back at Killua. Killua’s brow twitches, peeved as he looks back towards Gon. Killua leans into him; Gon had to take a step back. His brows furrow together, a puzzled look on his face. “What is it, Killua?”

There’s a pregnant pause between them. A gentle breeze whisks by them, causing both their hair to ruffle with the wind. Khara calls out for the third person to depart. Gon looks away for a split second to see Gittarackur before looking back into Killua’s sharp eyes.

Killua blinks once, twice, and asks in a hushed tone, “Is Kurapika a boy or a girl?”

Gon is taken aback, nearly staggering back from the obvious and surprising question. “Is that why you’ve been staring at him so closely?” Gon asks, smiling sympathetically. Killua pulls away with a scoff, eyes going back to their friend. “Isn’t it obvious?” Gon goes to point a finger at their friend. “He’s a boy!”

“How can you be so sure?” Killua asks, crossing his arms.

“He looks like one-”

“Try again.” Killua raises his hand towards the Kurta and traces the others figure with his fingers. “ _He’s_ way too pretty to be a boy. He has slender, delicate hands; a thin build; small waist; big, almond shaped eyes; and even his voice is girly. He looks like a fairy book princess.”

Gon hums, eyeing Kurapika intently now. He nods his head to Killua’s observation. “He does seem like it.”

“See!”

“But, you can’t judge a person by their cover. Aunt Mito said so!”

“It’s _book by his cover,_ stupid.”   

“Right!” Gon chuckles, scratching the back of his head embarrassed. “But, you can’t tell by looks alone. You have to ask the person.”

“Good luck trying not to offend him,” Killua waves the idea off. Who’s to say Kurapika is actually a girl? They always get offended when you get their gender wrong. It’s worse with a boy, they might actually try to punch you. What if Kurapika has preferred pronouns? He would have told them by now, right?

“You’re right…” Gon cups his chin, ogling at the floor for an answer. “Oh!” he exclaimed excitedly with a pointed finger. “His scent!”

“His scent?” Killua questioned, looking at Gon quizzically.  
  
Gon hums in agreement, nodding his head happily. His eyes beam with confidence about his idea. “Guys smell musty while girls are more floral, earthly even.”

“Yeah? So tell me, what does Kurapika smell like?” Killua scoffs, humoring the other. Gon’s got a strong nose but he didn’t actually think the boy used it for things other than hunting for food. This is kind of creepy, but anything will do to satisfy his crippling nosiness.

“He smells…,” Gon starts, trying to come up with words to better describe his friends scent. “Fresh leaves like a forest! Maybe a tinge of cinnamon.”

“That… doesn’t help in the least,” Killua groans. “If anything that only throws me off.”

Gon pouts. “It was a good idea in my head.” Gon sighs, looking back towards the group. Khara had already scent off the fourth contestant. “Why do you want to know anyway?”

“Just because.” Killua answers flatly. Gon scoffs, rolling his eyes to the back of his head. “What? I’m not weird. You’re the weird one!”

“I’m not weird. You’re weird!”

“You’re the one with a crush on pinhead Larry.”

“What? No, I don’t!” Gon shouts, gaining the whole ship’s attention. Everyone eyes the duo dubiously as did Leorio and Kurapika with a questioning stare of their own. Killua and Gon awkwardly grin toothily at the crowd with an embarrassed laugh. They wave at their two older friends reassuringly, totally not hinting that they were just talking about their Kurta friend. Leorio and Kurapika shrug, giving the two a suspicious look before going back to their conversation.

The boys snicker together, looking smug, but the attention soon drifts back to Khara as she slowly calls off each participant. “5th candidate may start!”

“7th!”

“15th!”

“21st!”

Killua doesn’t forget to bump fists with Gon before walking off. Crossing the barely sturdy wooden plank, he strolled into the forest without an ounce of worry. With his years of heavy training and endurance, Killua hasn’t a doubt he’ll pass this next phase easy, which really sucks though since he’s here to have fun and not die of boredom. Who knows, maybe he’ll be lucky enough to have someone amusing targeting him. Hopefully, someone who will keep his mind off of Kurapika’s gender.

Under the shades of the tree, Killua comes to a stop. He looks around, scanning his surroundings first. The trees are taller and much more thicker compared to the ones Killua’s got back home, though Killua’s sure his trees are fuller.

He doesn’t see anyone, but he can certainly feel eyes on him. Killua ghostly grins, moving on forward as his predator follows closely behind. He’s no assassin that’s for sure; Killua can hear every footstep the person was making. It’s like they’re purposely stepping on every leaf they come across. This is going to be a very boring phase.  

* * *

“22nd!”

Gon sprints forward with his fishing rod firmly in hand. He looks back towards Leorio and Kurapika and waves them goodbye as he descends into the forest. The shadows of the tall trees fall before the boy, hiding him from daylight’s view. Gon smiles, reminded of the small forest back at home. He would always venture off to meet with Kon and the other forest critters. He takes a strong whiff of air, letting it all out in an exaggerated sigh as a feeling of nostalgia settles in.

Gon then skids to a stop, eyes peering at the branches above him. He spins, darting at the bushes behind him. He narrows his eyes, listening to his surroundings keenly. Gon takes a small moment before continuing off into the forest. That was odd; he could have sworn he saw something leap in the trees. It was probably a spider monkey or a flying squirrel. _Probably imagining things…?_

Gon shakes the thought from mind and focuses on the bigger task at hand, hunting for Hisoka’s tag. He’ll have to figure out a way to snatch it from the magician. Gon can’t just attack him directly. Hisoka would annihilate him on the spot. Gon’s going to have to think this thoroughly through, so he’ll be ready for the main event. Maybe he’ll be lucky enough to see Gittarackur and actually ask him about his needles!

* * *

“23rd!"

“Good luck, Leorio,” Kurapika bids his farewell as he strides forward.

He carefully crosses the plank before jogging towards the trees. He hides himself out of birdseye view, making sure none of the awaiting contestants follow his trail. He hides behind the trunks of the trees, finally choosing a spot to wait for his target, Tonpa. He kneels down and rests a hand on the bark of the tree. If things go accordingly, Kurapika will steal Tonpa’s ID tag unscaved. He’s lucky to have such an easy target but he shouldn’t be celebrating so soon. He himself is still someone else’s target. Kurapika’s going to lay low until the end of the phase.

Kurapika took a deep breath to calm his frantically beating heart. He palms his chest, feeling the way the organ beat against his ribcage. He felt apprehensive. The Fourth Phase will distinguish between rookies, hand picking authentic hunters. Though Kurapika doesn’t doubt his abilities, he can’t help the gut feeling that something major will happen. Death isn’t something he fears, and yet Kurapika doesn’t see himself joining his clan any time soon. Maybe it’s not that he might die, but he’s afraid for Leorio’s wellbeing.

The churning in his stomach almost confirms his suspicions. Can Leorio pass this exam with ease? Who even is his target, and who is targeting him? Kurapika shudders fearfully, the thought of Hisoka targeting Leorio leaving an awful feeling in the pit of his gut. When he steals Tonpa’s tag Kurapika will immediately go search for Leorio to aid him if needed. Kurapika just hopes that's the only thing he’ll have to worry about in the exam. Hopefully, nothing will surprise him.

* * *

 

“24th!”

Leorio tensed for a second before nodding. He bends down to grab his suitcase. His grip on the object tightens as he swallows thickly. It’s time for action; no going back now! Before he could make a step forward, Tonpa mutters something under his breath. “You got something to say?” He sneers at the older man. He glares at him from over his shoulder.

The shorter man’s dull look turns into an amused smirk.“What? I was just wishing you luck. Nothing more,” Tonpa answers _truthfully_. His hands were raised in surrender, meaning the other no harm… or so an idiot would believe.

“Yeah, whatever.” Leorio huffed. He walks forward, four steps in until Tonpa spoke again.

“A mere, _thank you,_ would have been nice.”

Leorio’s teeth grind against each other as he stops for a second, heavily debating giving the older man a sucker punch. He shook the thought from mind and continued onward. Stepping off the plank, Leorio ran straight without looking back. Tonpa yells something obscene, but Leorio won’t let it get to him. This sad, little man is just trying to aggravate him, probably stalling to make Leorio’s waste his time. Well, Tonpa won’t get the best of him.   

Leorio slows his running, taking in his surroundings and memorizing it just in case he ends up lost. It seems pointless since everything looks the same. He grunts. Who’s he kidding? He’s no Gon Freecss; he can’t be one with the forest.

Leorio comes to a brisk stop. What’s he even doing running when he doesn’t know who his target is? Leorio sighs heavily. He runs his hands through his hair. “I guess I should hunt the other applicants since I don’t know who’s my target,” Leorio mutters to himself. His eyes dart left and right before continuing on his unknown path.

He’s a bit nervous now. The only reason he’s so far into the Hunter Exam is thanks to the help of his friends. He’s all on his own now. Not that he’s complaining, he didn’t expect to make good friends along the way when he signed up to take the exam. It was out of pure luck he’d meet everyone along the way, and Leorio will forever be thankful to them. He won’t let them down this time. He’ll get all six points and continue to the next phase along with them.

The magician crept to mind, and Leorio’s eyes narrow, lips pursing into a tight line. If Hisoka comes to hunt him down, Leorio will fight to keep his tag. Nothing will keep him from his goal. Not even a homicidal maniac!


	2. Distractions X Oddities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leorio successfully retrieved his ID Tag back from Tonpa thanks to Kurapika's help. Now the two are off searching for Leorio's target, Bourbon. As the two venture through the foreign forest, Leorio couldn't help but feel paranoid. What happens when his worsts fears are realized? Will he save Kurapika from the homicidal magician? 
> 
> Killua is feeling bored after a full day of doing nothing but walking. Will the man stalking him entertain him, or will the fourth phase be all for nothing? 
> 
> Gon sits patiently as he awaits for the perfect moment to steal Hisoka's tag, but what happens when Gittarackur gets in the way of his hunting? Will Gon keep a watchful eye on Hisoka, or will Gittarackur's true form distract Gon from completing the 4th phase?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER 2  
> This is the first time I'm on all writing roll. And it's been a long ass while since I've been on a "roll." I probably jinxed it ;-; Well, hopefully I'll have chapter 3 ready for you all to read next Saturday/Sunday~. Again I would like to thank SuperSaiyanHollow for editing and being great ;-;

Leorio sighs thankfully as he plops himself down on an engorged tree root. He physically relaxes onto the rough bark of the tree, not at all minding the way the coarse texture practically scratched the skin of his back. However, the longer he sat there the more uncomfortable he became. Leorio pulls away from the trunk of the tree and settled with leaning on his knees with his elbows. A wide smile stretches across his face as he brings his own ID tag up to eye level. He twirls it in his fingers. “So, Tonpa was your target. Thanks for nailing him.”

Kurapika nods in acknowledgement as he sits back on a root sprouting from the earth.

Both Kurapika and Leorio had just retrieved Leorio’s stolen tag along with two extras. Tonpa and his two accomplices, Sommy and his pet spider monkey, teamed up to trick Leorio into taking his ID tag. Tonpa ran off whilst the spider monkey and Sommy made off with Leorio’s tag into the trees. Thinking the trio had the upper hand, mocking Leorio for being so gullible, Kurapika showed up right in the nick of time, giving Tonpa a blow to the head.

“Don’t thank me, Leorio. I held my tongue when you were about to be attacked from behind.” Kurapika paid no mind to the way Leorio’s chest puffed up and his shoulders raised angrily. That was a lucky miss too. Leorio barely dodged being struck in the back of the head by Sommy. Kurapika trusted Leorio to have the situation handled, and he did not disappoint. That was a risky move, holding back while the two ambushed Leorio, but the Kurta’s first priority was to steal Tonpa’s tag. Had the situation gone awry, then the Kurta was sure to repay his friend back. 

Kurapika ignores Leorio’s temper as he continues, “I had to hope that you would handle it or what use would you be to me as a partner?”

Leorio glares at Kurapika hard before rolling his eyes. “Ah… What the heck, it worked out, didn't it? With your tag and Tonpa’s you’ve got six points. You’re all set!”

“Yes, as long as I don’t lose them.” Kurapika tucked away his own tag and Tonpa’s in his pocket. “118 though is only worth one point,” Kurapika says, holding up the extra tag.

Leorio shrugs. “A point is a point.”

“True.” Kurapika tucks the extra tag into his pocket for safekeeping. “Now, about your target, Bourbon,” Kurapika says.

Leorio nods, unlocking his suitcase to store away his ID tag. While Tonpa was chatting Leorio up he gave said teen valuable information on who Leorio’s target is. Bourbon is one of five surviving applicants who specialize in chemical weapons. His preferred choice in toxins is uncertain, Tonpa could only guess the man had a wide range to work with. He doesn’t stalk, instead he lures his prey into a trap he’s set up and gambles their lives for something Bourbon wants. If Leorio’s careful, he should outsmart the older man and sucker punch him before he could use his poison against him. Leorio’s got this in the bag!

Kurapika stands as Leorio closes his suitcase. “Make sure we don’t have any stalkers.” Leorio nods as he stands as well .

They ascend towards a random path standing side by side. They remain quiet throughout their hike with an intense atmosphere surrounding them. They’re alert, wary of their setting... Well, at least Kurapika is.

Kurapika looks towards the taller teen, sensing that the other’s mind is elsewhere. As if to confirm his suspicions, Leorio’s face is formed into a distort, bothered look. Kurapika’s features are tense as well, knowing very well what’s in the other’s thoughts; something Tonpa had mentioned, something Kurapika wished the man kept a secret.

_“I knew you were keeping your tag in your case,” Tonpa says in a cheeky tone._

_Leorio was on one knee with his fists at his sides, ready to defend himself. His eyes tear away from his suitcase, its inner contents now on the earthy ground in a jumbled mess, and glares at the smug look on the big nosed man’s face._

_“Tonpa, you two are working together?!” Leorio shouts, referring to the man whom near pounded Leorio to the ground. He stands, showing he’s not intimidated whatsoever._

_“Exactly so. I didn’t need your medicine, I have my own!” Tonpa tosses the tablets in his hands as proof to Leorio, having lied to the man that he needed medication for his deeply pained stomach. He chucks the pills into his mouth and swallows them whole. “And, I might as well confess. I wasn’t lying when I said your small, silver-haired friend was my target, but going after him is a deathwish. So I thought, why not take it from the weaker targets instead? So, I started with you.”_

_“Why you…!” Leorio’s jaw clenched, teeth in full view like an wild animal._

_“Hey, better  us than that clown, right?” the attacker comments. He and the spider monkey on his shoulder held the same smirk._

_“What?!”_

_“We noticed the way Hisoka was checking you out. Looks like we did you the favor of taking your tag off your hands, Hisoka might spare you all thanks to us. So, no hard feelings, right?”_

Leorio swallows thickly, heart now hammering in his chest. Tonpa too has noticed the way Hisoka was eyeing him, so it wasn’t Leorio’s imagination. Goosebumps spread across his body from his arms to his spine. He’s glaring at nothing, fearing that Hisoka might ruin his chances of becoming a hunter… oh yeah, and dying is something he should be worried about too. Leorio is just so close to getting his hands on that license, the fact that he’s here and this far into the exam is a miracle. If he fails the exam, Leorio’s more than sure he’s not going to be as lucky with next year’s phase as he is now.

“Leorio…” Kurapika’s soft voice was enough to bring Leorio out of his depressive thoughts. Said teen looks down at the other. Kurapika wasn’t exactly looking at him, but Leorio knows he’s being acknowledged. “Let’s stick together for the remaining four days.” Kurapika says nothing more. His single sentence signifying that Leorio will be safe as long as he’s with the Kurta.

Leorio was taken aback at the sudden request. He took a moment before smiling sincerely at Kurapika. He hums, nodding in agreement with the Kurta. He looks forward now feeling much more at ease and confident. He shouldn’t give up on hope now! He’s still got four days to go. Whatever happens Kurapika will be there to help him, and with that Leorio is truly grateful. 

* * *

Killua stopped dead in his tracks after doing nothing, but walking around the island. The sun is setting, darkening the blue sky into an ombre of orange and red. A cold breeze blows through Killua’s hair. The trees rustle gently along with the wind. The day is already coming to a close; Killua’s been on foot for two days straight.

He sighs heavily, already having enough of this game. “You think I don’t know I’m being followed? I know you’ve been stalking me since the beginning,” Killua states. A wicked grin spreads on his lips. “You fail at hiding yourself. Show yourself, let’s play~.”

There’s an eerie silence for a moment. The air stills for a second, as if too intimidated by the young ex-assassin to spite him. Then, there’s a ruffling sound; Killua was sure his _predator_ was going to reveal himself, but the ruffling stops and his stalker remains hidden.

Killua turns back, eyeing a particular area where a large tree is being surrounded by some tall bushes. “You’re wasting your time. I’ll never give you an opening to attack,” Killua spoke as a final attempt to get his pursuer out in the open.

_Nothing_.

Killua sighs exaggeratedly. “Fine. Here I come!” Killua warns, walking towards the now noisy bushes. “You’re very annoying, you’re worth one point to me.” Killua hums as the bushes become louder until finally out came out the stalker.

It was one of the guys that came into the exam with his brothers. Killua only guesses him to be the older sibling since he’s taller and fatter. He wore a striped, yellow shirt with a long-sleeved, black shirt under, a white and blue cap with its bill facing back, and he has no eyebrows, but has a pointed stripe running down his eyes and over his heavy bags; probably thought he’d look intimidating that way.

The older teen smirked down at Killua and struggles his way out of the bushes to get to Killua. Killua came to a stop, watching as the older made his way towards Killua. He stands before Killua, staring down at the smaller with a _menacing_ grin.

“You’re a pretty sharp kid,” he says with a dark chuckle.

Umori is his name. Truth be told, he isn’t sure if Killua is his target or not, but Umori always liked the idea of scaring people enough to piss themselves. Who better than a kid to traumatize for life? So, he’s been following the younger in hopes of inflicting paranoia, though, he didn’t expect to be following Killua for such a long time. It’s best he ends things now or else he’ll end up wasting time and losing the 4th phase.

“Hand over ya badge, kid, and I promise I won’t hurt ya as bad~” Umori declares, tone becoming low and threatening .

Killua only stares up at Umori, not at all frightened or panicked. He’s dealt with more ruthless men than this, and even they weren’t enough to embed fear into Killua’s core. A single brow raised in question to Umori’s threat. He tilts his head back to better look at the taller. With a bored expression, Killua says, “Stupid.”

Umori sneers at Killua and shot his fists towards Killua’s head, punching his left cheek. He angrily grabs Killua by the collar of his shirt and brings him up to eye level. Killua’s skateboard drops to the ground, legs now dangling in the air. “Does it look like I’m playing games?” Umori inquired. He glares daggers into Killua’s shadowed eyes, bangs in the way of his sight.

Killua jerks his head, snapping his hair out of the way. He brings his hand up to view. “199, huh?” Killua hums, twirling Umori’s ID tag in hand. “Did you know you were my target or are you just an idiot?”

Umori lurches back, shock written all over his facial features. He releases Killua in favor of searching in his pants pockets to see if his tag was actually stolen. “H-How did you-”

“You saved me the trouble of searching for you.” Killua flips the tag in his hand. Umori looks back towards Killua in disbelief. Killua leans on one leg, looking at the troubled man with his head tilted mockingly to the side. “Thanks, moron~.”

Umori growls and raises his fist. “Give it back!” He shouts as he launches another fist at Killa.

Killua dodges the attack with ease, stepping aside as Umori fell forward. The fool lost his balance while putting too much pressure onto his fist.

Umori fell to his knees, but immediately shot his glare back towards Killua. He jolts back in shock; the kid disappeared! Umori stood to his feet with his hands raised. He skims his surroundings, eyes darting from bushes, to leaves, to vines, and to roots. Where the hell did the squirt go?

A sudden kick to the back of his knees forces Umori to fall down again. A firm hand grabs his shoulder from behind while a sharp object pressed itself against his neck. Umori can hear his own heart in his ears at how scared he is. _This kid, who is he?!_ Umori swallows thickly, praying to the Gods to watch over his brothers when he’s dead.

“Keep still. My nails are razor sharp,” Killua warns, pressing his nail into Umori’s skin to emphasize his point. A droplet of blood seeps to the surface and runs down Umori’s neck. The hairs on the back of Umori’s neck stand, goosebumps covering his whole body now. Sweat forms on Umori’s forehead, gradually running down his face as Killua keeps him still for the longest time. 

“Listen, I’ve been pretty bored lately with you following me about. I’m itching for a fun game, so why not change the tables of cat and mouse. I’ll be the cat and you be the mouse~,” Killua practically purrs. He’s been waiting for something fun to do, and it finally looks like he’s getting his wish. “I’ll give you a three minute head start, starting…. Now~!” And with that, Killua pushes Umori forward to fall on his face.

Umori groans from the pain, hand going to his face to soothe it. “Time’s a ticking. Tic, tock, tic, tock~,” Killua chimes.

The threat was enough to make Umori scurry off, grabbing at the roots of the trees to help him run faster on all fours. He cries out for his brothers, Amori and Imori, as he finally pushes himself up to run on his two feet.

Killua watched, amused as Umori shouted in fear and fell on his face a few times until he was finally out of sight. Three minutes is far too long for Killua to wait. He’s been waiting two days for any sort of excitement. He’d be damned if he waited any longer~.

With a playful grin on his face, Killua puts away his six points and reaches down to grab at his skateboard. He strolls forward, wondering if Gon is having fun too~.

* * *

“Well… come on out.”

Gon’s heart stops at Hisoka’s request. _He noticed me?!_ His hand tightens around his fishing rod as shivers run down his spine. His heart is at his throat as he keeps still, fearing that the slightest movement will give his hiding spot away. Has Hisoka discovered him? He’s been quiet, steady, and immobile since he’s discovered Hisoka; hiding himself in some nearby bushes to keep an eye on the magician. Gon thought he was making good progress until now. What gave him away?

“If you won’t come out,” Hisoka presses on as he stands to his feet, “I’ll come to you.” Hisoka turns his being towards the bushes on his right side and walks towards the still plants, slowly and menacingly.

Gon’s jaw clenched as Hisoka eased closer. His heart his pounding in his chest. Well, guess it’s sink or swim. Gon’s hold on his fishing rod becomes tighter, the skin of his bandaged palms burning from the pain.

Hisoka stood a distance away from the bushes, eyeing it expectedly. Gon takes a breath, about to make himself known before the bushes beside him ruffled. Gon carefully turned to look, surprised as a hunter applicant emerged from the bushes. Gon’s eyes widen in shock. When did this guy get here? Gon didn’t notice him at all!

Goz was his name. He’s a tall man with shoulder length, straight, black hair; he has an orange bandana above his thick eyebrows; and he wore a long, blue tank top with an orange belt. His droopy eyes stare at Hisoka as he pulls out his spear and slices through the bushes on his left side in a single blow. He will not show the slightest bit of intimidation; he will not hesitate to draw his weapon. He is here for business.

Gon ducks in time before the blade could even touch him. He swallows thickly, sighing shakily. He’s unharmed… though he can’t say the same for his hair.

Goz brought the end of his spear back to chest, holding it in both hands now. “I challenge you to a duel,” he states without giving Hisoka a choice.

“Then, you seek death,” Hisoka remarked. Goz said nothing, stepping out of the bushes and marching forward. He stops as he assumes position, standing on his side with his legs bent apart, right arm at his torso with the spear in hand, and left arm stretching out towards Hisoka with an open palm.

_This is my chance!_ Gon thought as he mentally prepares to snatch Hisoka’s tag.

Gon’s spent all morning and all day yesterday training and figuring out strategies on ways to steal Hisoka’s ID tag. He’s watched hunter examinees stalk and prey on each other; he’s practiced on fruits and animals, until finally figuring out how to approach Hisoka. His plan was that the moment Hisoka goes for his prey, Gon will go for the “kill.” In other words, snatch Hisoka’s tag the moment he’s in action. Gon’s spent all day practicing with his fishing rod until his palms bled with blisters. He’s more than confident that he’ll succeed in taking Hisoka’s tag; he just has to wait for the moment Hisoka strikes.

Hisoka stood, unshaken by his self proclaimed opponent. There’s a pause between them, air becoming still as it waits for one of the two to strike. As soon as Hisoka pulls out a small deck of cards, Goz acts.

With a grunt, Goz shot his pointed blade towards the magician. Hisoka surges back, dropping his deck in the process. Hisoka held a smile as he easily avoids the jab to the gut. Goz shouts a battle cry as he advances forward, lunging his spear at Hisoka. Hisoka ducks, dodges, leapt out of the way of the continuous attacks. He deftly avoids the attack, seeming to be dancing along with the spear in a silent waltz.

But, why isn’t Hisoka fighting? All he’s doing is avoiding the fatal blows, like the spear isn’t at all to be concerned about. He shuffles around the blades way, poking at Goz’s back whenever he lost sight of the magician. Is it because his cards are out of hand’s reach? Gon looks at the splayed out deck. There’s about a dozen cards out, so Hisoka should have the rest in his person, right? Or, could it be that Hisoka isn’t going to attack at all? Gon didn’t even consider that possibility! Damn. Now he’s gotta think of a back-up plan. Why didn’t he realize this sooner?!

With one final strike, Goz slashes his spear across in an attempt to gash Hisoka’s torso, but Hisoka leapt out of the way unscaved. Goz ends up penetrating a tree instead and causes the big thing to fall on its side. The area shook with the birds flying away in fear and cawing at other animals to do the same.

Goz stops his meaningless attacks and stands at a distance away from Hisoka. He holds his spear up to his chest, panting heavily as his sweaty, strained body shook. “Hisoka,” he pants, “Why won’t you fight? Explain yourself!”

“I have no interest in you,” Hisoka explained. “You’re weak and pathetic to think you could challenge me. You’ll be dead whether it’s by my hands or not, that’s how feeble you are.”

Goz falls to one knee, legs already giving out from under him. Hisoka turns his back towards the other and walks over to the fallen tree. “Wait… I’m not done with you…!” Goz growls. He uses the dull end of his spear to push himself up. He struggles to keep on his legs, his weapon providing extra support.

“The thing is, I don’t care for boring people. I rather have a thrill out of it, then to waste my time.” Hisoka turns, facing the other finally. He sits back on the trunk of the tree and leans forward to rest his arms on his knees. “If it is death you seek then by all means, give me your best shot. You’re dead anyway~.”

Goz growls. Frustrated tears catch at the corner of his eyes as he runs forward. He roars, spear in hand as he is prepared to wipe that smug look off of Hisoka’s face.

In the second of Goz’s spear drawing back, Gon’s eyes widen as Hisoka’s scattered cards make their move. As if by magic, they all came launching themselves towards Goz’s back, piercing his shoulder blades, spine, neck, etc. The blow of the attack shoves Goz forward, the man now staggering pathetically, but then he’s pushed back by something even harder. Gon tenses, thinking he lost his opportunity. Goz falls back, releasing his spear as he succumbs to his death on the dirty earth, that’s when Gon saw it. He silently gasped, shamefully excited at recognizing the needles on Goz’s face.

“Oh, you had the situation handled?” Gittarackur questions. He lowers his raised hand down to his chest, needles in waiting between the man’s fingers.

Gon bit his lips, holding back a grin. His eyes dart to each needle in the man’s head, subconsciously counting them once again. One seems to be missing, maybe it’s in Gittarackur’s hand…?

Gon shook the thought from mind. He needs to focus on Hisoka now. He takes a deep breath through his nose and exhales softly though his mouth in order to calm himself down. His heart is running a mile a minute from the excitement of Goz vs. Hisoka, also because Gittarackur showed up. Hisoka can probably sense heartbeats, so it’s best to calm down now.

“I always do~,” Hisoka answers. He remains in his position, staring as the Hemotropic Butterflies fluttered towards Goz’s body, eager to drink the blood pouring from the dead man’s wounds. “Did you _kill_ him in hopes to swoon me? I knew you valued our friendship, Lumi~.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, I was just doing you a favor.” Gittarackur walks towards Hisoka, his being quaking as he did so. “This means you owe me.”

“I guess so~.”

Gon rests his head lightly against his fishing rod. He always thought Gittarackur was the silent type with nothing but the rattle of his pins, and yet here he is talking to Hisoka like they’re best friends. Hisoka even has a nickname for him. _Lumi,_ it’s probably short for something or an inside joke. Gon pouts, wishing to be that close with Gittarackur, though the man doesn’t seem to like the concept of friendship. _Or maybe he doesn’t like Gon afterall._ He probably prefers to be a loner. Hisoka probably eased his way into getting Gittarackur to talk to him. Gon smiles to himself. If Hisoka can persuade him to talk, then so can Gon. He’ll just have to be equally stubborn.

_“You’re the one with a crush on pinhead Larry.”_

Gon flushes, cheeks burning from Killua’s earlier words. It’s not like Gon likes Gittarackur romantically, he’s just really curious about him. He’s a walking oddity and Gon’s always interested in the strange and the new. Not only does Gittarackur have a strange appearance, but his preference in combat is strange too. All of it is fascinating. Gon could compare his interest to finding ugly things cute. Though, Gon wouldn’t call Gittarackur cute, not that he’s not in his own way?! Gon blushes harder from his own thoughts. Why is he trying to convince himself anyway? He knows he doesn’t have a crush on Gittarackur. Killua’s just getting to him.

“So, why didn’t you fight him?” Gittarackur asks. He splays out his arms. “He just wanted a little brawl, why not give him his final wish? Plus, you’re kink is blood splattering. An easy win for both of you.” 

“I wasn’t feeling it,” Hisoka says with a shrug of his shoulders. “And, like I told you before, I don’t just like to kill, I like a challenge~.”

“Right.” Gittarackur’s hands go to rest on his hips. “Still, I can’t help but feel pity for Goz.”

“Since when did you feel?” Hisoka chuckles, sensing Gittarackur’s eyes glaring at his back. “And, who’s Goz?”

“I too have feelings,” Gittarackur mumbles to himself. He walks around the tree’s slit stump and walks up to the dead man. He shakily bends down and grabs his ID tag. “Goz is the man you killed,” he answers, standing up straight. He displays the card to Hisoka. “This is only worth one point sadly.”

“Do be a dear and hold onto it for me. I tend to lose my things easily~.”

Gittarackur shrugs, putting the tag away in his pants pocket. “Did you take Leorio’s tag yet?” He asks, curious to know how Hisoka’s earlier problem became resolved.

Gon tenses. His lips purse in worry. Hisoka’s target is Leorio?!

“Not yet. I’m waiting for just the right moment~,” Hisoka coos, chuckling to himself. He can already picture that fiery glare Leorio will be throwing his way. The thought made his skin crawl delightfully. Hisoka looks up at Gittarackur as the man approaches him. “And, what about yourself? Did you find your target?”

“I lost track of him after a while.”

Hisoka hums in response. “Now, what kind of assassin are you, losing your target so easily?”

Gittarackur’s an assassin too? _Just like Killua…_ Gon wonders if Killua and the other have met before. Killua doesn’t at all seem to recognize him. Who can forget a face like Gittarackur’s, right?

“It wasn’t my fault. This sniper was targeting me whilst I was about to kill mine.” Gittarackur searches his pockets and pulled out the ID tag 80. “He ticked me off, so I killed him without a thought. Looks like we both need two points to pass.”

“Nothing we can’t get in no time, right?” Hisoka says.

“Well, you’re not wrong.” Gittarackur puts away the ID tag, heavily debating stealing Goz’s tag from Hisoka. The magician won’t mind in the least, right? It would give him more game to kill. His hands then go up to his face and start pulling out the pins from his head.

Gon’s interest is peaked as he leans in as best as he can without making a sound. One by one, Gittarackur pulls out every single needle until his head is clean. There’s a small pause; Gon near pouts in disappointment, not sure what he was expecting. Then, Gittarackur’s eyes twitch and soon his entire skull began morphing. Gon stares in awe as Gittarackur’s long, chiseled cheekbones and chin bulge and reshape. His eyes pop out, and his hair changed from purple to a raven color.

“That’s always fun to watch~,” Hisoka comments, having an eyeful of the show before him.

“I’m glad you enjoy it. I don’t particularly like it,” Gittarackur says in between transforming himself. Even his voice changes from sounding like a robot to one that is monotonous. His hair grew long until it reached past his rear, and his face finally settled down into an oval shape. Gittarackur hums, satisfied. “I feel much better.”

Gon’s… never seen someone so pretty before. His eyes are practically sparkling, mouth agape in a silent gasp as he stares stunned at Gittarackur’s newly changed appearance. It’s as if he went through an intense facial surgery within minutes. Gittarackur’s face, a round diamond shape, is now smooth with his cheekbones popping out just a bit. His previously small eyes are now wide, almond-shaped with dark, near black, irises. His mohawk has grown too, jet black, straight hair that looked luscious and pampered. Gon wants to run his hands through it, touch the new porcelain skin, and look into those seemingly hollow eyes.

_“Is Kurapika a boy or a girl…? How can you be so sure?”_

Gon is instantly reminded of Killua’s dilemma. Is Kurapika a boy or a girl? At first, Gon found the question obvious and strange. How could Killua not know? Now, Gon thinks he gets it now. Gittarackur changed from a bizarre appearance to one where he challenges Aphrodite herself. With his long, flowing hair; curled lashes; and pointed nose, Gon isn’t sure if he’s a male anymore. _Killua’s right, this is hard._

Gittarackur then bends down and starts digging a hole in the dirt. He’s doing it with such force and at a impeccable speed too. Gon’s surprised that Hisoka isn’t phased by it, but then again, this is the same person who killed Goz without even touching him.

After debating if the hole was deep enough, Gittarackur hops in, digging out some more dirt to better situate himself. He turns towards Hisoka. “I’m gonna chill out here until morning. So, good luck and goodnight!” Gittarackur bids his farewell before digging deeper into the hole and filling it up with soil.

Gon raises a brow, all his years of camping out and he’s never thought about sleeping underground before. Not only is Gittarackur bizarre, but his preference in doing things is strange too. Gon finds himself more and more drawn to the man each time. Now, he knows for sure that he wants, _needs,_ to know more about this odd man.

Gittarackur has tucked himself in for the night, in his own way, but Hisoka wasn't quite ready to embark on his own path. He stays on the log until a little bit after sunset when he deemed it appropriate to go out on the hunt. Gon remains nestled in his own hiding spot, waiting patiently for the jester to make his move.

The stars are out, a blanket of them covering the night sky. The crickets are chirping, their song playing its tune for other potential mates to hear. There isn't any other sound aside from the occasional ruffling of leaves thanks to  the night's breeze.

“Well, I need two more points,” Hisoka mutters to himself. He stands, stretching his arms above his head and popping joints on his back. He inhales deeply through his nose, savoring the scent of the great outdoors. He lets it all out in a calm sigh.

Being out at such an hour made Hisoka feel nostalgic. He remembers counting the stars as a kid, trying to lull himself to sleep when he slept in the streets. It always calmed him, even now. “No sense in getting moody about it now,” Hisoka says to himself. “I better do some hunting~.”

He turns, facing his left side and makes off towards that direction, walking calmly with a straight back. He has nothing to fear for no one on this island has the capability to make Hisoka cower, as if anyone at all can inflict such an emotion on Hisoka. He’s in no hurry as well. Hisoka still has a remainder of 4 days to spare, enough time for him to have some fun. Now, his only problem is finding his target. Leorio is sure to show him a good time~. The jester wonders if he should use his Nen to trick Leorio? He doesn’t see why not. Maybe Leorio will surprise him~.

Hisoka chuckles creepily to himself, figure shadowing and blending with the darkness as he ventures through the trees. Gon stands, leaving his spot as well. He quietly steps out of the bushes.

“I’ll get him this time,” Gon mutters as he quietly, but quickly stalks after Hisoka with his fishing rod in hand. He passes the fallen trunk of the tree, passes the dead hunter applicant, and soon Gon’s steps slow once he passes Gittarackur’s dirt pile. Gon stands still, looking back at the sleeping hole Gittarackur had made for himself.

He eyes the pile, shivering as a gust of wind brushes past him. _I… want to see him…_ Gon subconsciously makes small steps towards the catacomb. The pile looks like a small grave; it made Gon feel glum. Gittarackur isn’t dead, but the sight doesn’t settle well with Gon’s stomach.

Gon completely forgets all about Hisoka, forgetting to keep himself concealed as well. Hisoka’s out of sight at the moment, so Gon’s momentarily safe.

Gon kneels down before the _grave_ and sets his fishing rod down beside him. He sits back on his haunches, waiting patiently beside the pile, not sure what he’s waiting for or what to expect. He just wanted to have a closer look.

Gon stares at the pit for the longest time, re-picturing the new appearance that was Gittarackur. “What… Who… are you?” Gon wonders aloud. Is Gittarackur really a boy or girl? But, it’s not like his-her… _their_ gender would make Gon look at them differently. Just like Killua, Gon is curious to know.

His hand slowly, hesitantly, reaches out towards the dirt pile. Girl, boy, whatever Gittarackur is, Gon wants to know about them, learn about them, understand them, and maybe even be taught from them. _Something_. It’s an unbearable curiosity that makes Gon act without thought.

Lightly dusting off some of the dirt from the very top of the pile, Gon’s fingers were threatening to sink into the soil to dig. His digits twitch and continuously move closer and away from the grave, and right when Gon finally musters up the courage to just dig his fingers into the soil, a hand springs to the surface and latches onto Gon’s wrist.

Gon pulls back with a startled jerk, but the hand on his wrist holds him in a bruising grip. Gon grunts, biting down on his teeth to keep from crying out. His wrist feels like it’s going to shatter. Another hand springs from the dirt pile and reaches out to grab at the earth’s crust, pulling on the grass to help it rise from the grave. Gon’s eyes widen, iresis shaking as Gittarackur’s black hair arose. Gon can hear his own heart beat frantically as the other emerged like a zombie.

Gittarackur’s head surfaces, shaking his head a bit like a dog to remove some of the dirt, and shot open his eyes to stare into startled ones. “Gon,” he said aloud, confirming to himself that the being disturbing his resting place was, in fact, Gon Freecss.

Gon gasps, heart skipping a beat at the sound of his own name being said through that new, smooth voice. This is the first time Gittarackur actually addressed him. Gon’s face feels like it's heating up.

Gittarackur withdrew from his catacomb, his torso now coming to view. Gittarackur’s gaze was fixed with Gon’s and his hand still held the boy tightly. He pulls Gon towards him, wanting answers. _How did you find my resting spot?_ _Why didn’t I feel your presence? What do you want with me?_ How much of him has Gon seen exactly? This is very troubling for Gittarackur. Gon could tell Killua everything he’s witnessed and Gittarackur’s not ready to reveal himself quite yet.

As Gittarackur pulls the boy closer, Gon would not budge from his spot. Instead, Gon pulls away, pushing back with his legs. His startled look is replaced with a serious one, determination suddenly being expressed through those brown orbs. So much for cooperating. If Gon isn’t coming to him, then Gittarackur will come to Gon. With his free hand, Gittarackur grabs Gon by his leg.

Gon jolts in surprise before being pulled forward. He resists, leaning back to keep a safe distance. Gittarackur continued to pull on the boy, heaving out of his catacomb whilst doing so. He looms over the boy as he pulls Gon under him, causing Gon to lie flat on his back. Gittarackur pulls out of his dirt pile until he’s fully hovering over Gon, looking down at the tenacious boy. As he releases, Gon’s leg Gittarackur pins Gon’s wrist above his head, causing a bit of dirt to fall on the boy’s being.

Time halts between the two, the world keeping still for the moment. Gon stares into near fully black orbs, and Gittarackur stares into beaming, brown ones. Gon is taking slow breaths as Gittarackur took normal ones. Both beings are in their own thoughts, thinking differently about the other. While one is in awe the other is baffled. Neither know what to do or say, so they continue their staring contest.

There’s a long pause between them before one of them spoke. “I knew… I knew those needles held something back.”

* * *

“There he is~,” Hisoka chimes, finally spotting the object of his desires, Leorio. The man and his seemingly inseparable friend, Kurapika, are scavenging through the forest about half a mile away. Hisoka is able to pinpoint them from a high cliff using his thumb and forefinger to form a ring around his dominant eye to enhance his vision. 

Hisoka chuckles sadistically and drops his hand to his side. “My oblivious target~,” he hums with a lick of his lips. “Amusing~.” 

Hisoka hadn’t come up with a plan to play with Leorio. He had gotten himself too excited with each idea that he had to cast them aside. They would all inevitably lead to Leorio’s death. Hisoka is just going to have to take the tag against Leorio’s will, see how Leorio will fight for its return. Hisoka hums, swallowing down his flare of excitement. If he isn’t careful, his bloodlust will engulf the whole area and scare his prey away. It’s already craving for the taste of blood; Hisoka just hopes he can subdue it for now.

He takes a deep breath, calming himself before surging forward and skidding down the wall of the cliff. When he reaches the green floor Hisoka sprints towards his prey, silently avoiding twigs and decaying leaves. He hides deep in the shadows, concealing himself behind the trunks of the trees. He wonders, will Leorio even sense his deadly aura? There’s only one way to find out~.

_Meanwhile_...

Leorio and Kurapika stop on their tracks. A chill rakes their backs and it wasn’t from the cold night’s breeze. Leorio swallowed thickly as Kurapika’s eyes scan his left and right side. Someone is coming and they can both feel the deadly intent behind it. It was an overwhelming sensation weighing down on them, atmosphere seeming thick and lethal. It was sent to warn them.

“Kurapika…,” Leorio starts, but can’t find the end of his sentence. The deadly atmosphere suddenly disappears, but that doesn’t mean the duo were safe. The threat has hidden themselves. Leorio pulls out his pocket knife and turns to face the setting behind them. He holds his suitcase tightly to his side, ready to use it as a shield of the sorts. 

Kurapika hums in response, pulling out his wooden swords. He too has noticed the threat had suddenly vanished. The deadly intent is clearly directed towards the both of them and is strong enough to make even the animals around them scurry away. Kurapika holds his weapons crossed and up to shoulders length. He backtracks until he and Leorio were back to back. Eyeing their surroundings intensely, both friends were firm in protecting each other from danger no matter the cost.

They remain silent, still as they listen intently to the ruffling of trees and watch the rest of the animals scurry off. The area becomes hushed, lull was the forest, and there were now no living thing in range, as far as they knew at least. Everything seems calm and safe, but it’s the eerie silence that’s got to be the most thrilling. As serene and placid the area seems, one shouldn’t judge, for even a small butterfly can be out for the taste of blood.

“My~, look who I’ve stumbled upon~.”

Leorio’s stomach drops as does his suitcase and weapon. His blood runs cold as his body is coated with goosebumps. His worst fears are realized once he recognizes that devilish voice. A playful chuckle echos around them.

“A couple of strays looking for a theme park in a graveyard~.”

With his trusty swords still before him, Kurapika looks at Leorio over his shoulder. He watches as said friend jolts out of his thoughts and scrambles with getting his own weapon from the ground. Kurapika’s eyes widen and his pupils shrink in terror when he sees a tall silhouette under a tree's shadow just feet away from Leorio. It smiles toothily at him, eyes resembling a predator as they glow in the dark.

“Leorio!” Kurapika shouts, lowering his weapons as he briskly turns in order to protect his unguarded friend. Frame by frame, as he turns and steps to stand before Leorio, Kurapika sees  the silhouette’s form break and disperse into puffs of smoke.

“Goodnight~,” a teasing voice whispers into his ear. Before Kurapika has time to react, he is struck on the side of the neck and his vision turns black.

“Kurapika!” Leorio cries out, catching his friend in his arms in time. “Hey, wake up!” Leorio shook Kurapika in his arms in an attempt to wake him, but to no avail. Kurapika’s head hung as he went into a deep, forced sleep. 

“Oh dear, he’s fallen asleep,” that taunting voice chimes from behind Leorio. Leorio growls and turns to glare at the magician, but he wasn’t in sight.

“In front of you~.” When Leorio faces back he is nose to nose with Hisoka; large, brown orbs meeting sharp amber.

Leorio shoots back, shrieking in surprise. He falls on his rear with Kurapika dangling awkwardly in his arms. “Hisoka!” Leorio snarls. He glares daggers at the man who’s finally made himself known.

“Yup, that’s me~.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffy :^)  
> WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?  
> Will Gittarackur reveal himself to Gon, or will things turn fatal? Will Hisoka take Leorio's tag or will Leorio escape unharmed? And where the hells is Killau?! you know what? comment that below. Tell me, what the hell do you think Killua is doing or will do~?
> 
> LEave interesting or creative thoughts in the comment section below~  
> Comments make me happy so please humor me :^)


	3. Rocky Heights x Guessing Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurapika is still out cold. Leorio is doing everything in his power to keep his friend safe, but what happens after his tag is stolen by the fickle magician? How will Leorio get it back?
> 
> Gon is trapped in Gittarackur's clutches. He's shaken with fear, but also stuck with curiosity. Will Gon escape Gittarackur's grasp, or will he escape? A better question: Does Gon even want to escape?
> 
> Where's killua? :^)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry. I Have no excuse. Let me explain what happened. I wrote the first 1 1/2 scenes months ago. But then I got stuck and told myself to take a break, and well... I completely forgot to come back. You can totally tell too, the difference in writing fro the first scenes to the next. I got too lazy to fix/touch up the first scenes. Special thanks to my friend SuperSaiyanHollow for editing this. You're a lovely dove that deserves so much love. Also, special thanks to my two other friends. I should have gave you both shout outs in the beginning tbh XD but anyway, thank you for the ideas and helping me make this fanfic possible. Thank you all my friends. 
> 
> Nowwww, enjoy the show~

Time came to a halt between the two; the world keeping still for the moment. Gon stares into near fully black orbs, and Gittarackur stares into beaming browns. Gon is taking slow breaths as Gittarackur took normal ones. Both beings are in their own thoughts, thinking differently about the other. While one is in awe the other is baffled. Neither know what to do or say, so they continue their staring contest. 

Gon traces the other’s features as best as he can in the dark. Gittarackur’s long hair cascading around him only made it that much more difficult. Gittarackur was so exaggeratedly different and so beautiful. Taking advantage of their close proximity, Gon takes a whiff of the other. Aside from the soily scent, there’s a vague smell there, almost nonexistent. If he gets close enough, he can smell a faint hint of charcoal or burning wood; the scent of a male.

Gittarackur pushes his hair back with his free hand, the moonlight twinkling across the boy's face. He was being studied by Gon, eyes darting from Gittarackur’s own pupils to his hair, his nose, and his skin. This new transformation must be confusing and quite alarming, having witnessed something so extreme, but the thing about Gon is he’s anything but shocked. There is this knowing gleam in those brown orbs staring at him so. It made Gittarackur shudder strangely. Although at a disadvantage, Gon being underneath Gittarackur with a pinned arm above his head, Gon expresses no fear nor did he beg to be released. He’s a stubborn one, glaring up at Gittarackur with this flame. Gittarackur’s eyes widen the slightest bit. The look is interesting; those eyes had something alluring to them. Is this what Killua and Hisoka see when they interact with the boy? Is this what they mean when they say Gon has his own  _ charm _ ? Is the fire in those eyes the reason why Gittarackur is captivated?

“I knew…” 

Gittarackur is pulled out of his thoughts once the boy spoke. He gave Gon his undivided attention with a small tilt of his head. Gon is glaring at him, but he also had a smile. It wasn’t a smirk either, but instead an earnest grin.   
  
Gon caught himself staring at Gittarackur’s porcelain skin. There were no more pins and needles for him to count; Gittarackur’s skin no longer being strained. “I knew those needles held something back,” Gon said, smiling cheekily at the other. It wasn’t a conversation, Gittarackur hasn’t said anything but Gon’s name in the past minute, yet Gon couldn’t help but smile at the other, finally acknowledging him even under these circumstances.  

Gittarackur was so taken aback by the other’s words, he jerks lightly. Who the hell is this boy, Gon Freecss?

Gittarackur’s hand loosens around Gon’s wrist, giving Gon an opportunity to act. With his free hand, Gon forms it into a fist and launches it towards Gittarackur’s face. He struck Gittarackur successfully making said man wobble to his other side. The force of the attack was enough to make Gittarackur completely lose his grip on Gon’s wrist. Said boy tears his arm back and kicks Gittarackur off. Grabbing his fishing rod, Gon rips himself out of Gittarackurs grasp.

Gittarackur caught himself from collapsing to his side as Gon leapt away from him. A gush of wind blew against him, causing his already jumbled up hair to billow. Gittarackur palms his cheek, touching the forming bruise as he slowly turns his gaze from the grass towards Gon. The boy was at a far distance away, glaring at him with his fishing rod in hand. He no longer held that cheeky grin.  

Gittarackur is truly confused. Gon was the one who approached him, and now he’s backing off? What’s with this boy? 

“That surprised me,” Gittarackur says, rubbing at his swollen cheek. “You took advantage of my distraction and struck me full force. Well done.” Gittarackur moves his jaw around, making sure Gon didn’t break it or dislocate it. “I have a high pain tolerance, so I barely felt the hit, kudos for trying though.” 

Gon relaxes a little, listening to what the other had to say. He purses his lips, keeping himself from smiling. Gittarackur is actually talking to him, he even praised Gon! Gon didn’t know how to respond though, so he nods in answer. His heart's still pounding excitedly against his ribcage.

Gittarackur’s eyes then fall from Gon’s eyes to his ID tag. He hums, an idea coming to mind. “I see you still have your tag. No one was successful enough to take it?” Gittarackur pulls the rest of himself out of his grave and stood to his feet. He looks away to dust off the dirt from his clothing, nonchalantly readjusting the pins in his body. “I only have five points and am in need of one more,” he announces. He looks back towards Gon and fixes his hair some. Smiling a simple grin at Gon, he says, “Mind if I take yours?”

Gon’s stomach drops and shivers run all throughout his body. He completely forgot the point of being on Zevil Island. His pupils shrink fearfully as he remembers what Gittarackur did to Goz for his tag. Gon swallows thickly. He definitely doesn’t want dozens of needles piercing his skin. 

As Gittarackur takes one step towards him, Gon was off, dashing around the trunks of the trees and even burying himself in the leaves for disguise. 

“I won’t lose to you!” Gon shouts, running far in hopes of losing the other, but at the same time, hoping Gittarackur catches up. He held a confident smile on his face as he flees. 

Gittarackur’s own grin never ceases. He gave Gon his opportunity to escape before following the younger hunter applicant. Gittarackur strolls at a steady pace, his hair swinging side to side flawlessly. 

Such an interesting turn of events; Gittarackur is actually enjoying himself. He sees now why Killua and Hisoka are so enchanted by the boy, this simple island hic. There’s more than meets the eye and Gittarackur is set on seeing everything Gon had to offer.  _ Never judge a book by their cover _ , is what he’s been taught since he was a boy. Even the most plain looking people can turn out to be the most unique individuals. Gittarackur will note not to critique someone based by their background as well, their summary; Gon is everything he’s never expected him to be. 

_ “Shotacon~,”  _ Hisoka’s voice echoes in the back of his head.

“I’m merely observing,” Gittarackur says, trying to convince himself and the Hisoka in his head. 

He’ll judge,  _ examine _ , Gon and determine if he’s a good enough companion for Killua. If not, Gittarackur will just have to kill the boy, after all, they are still hunting for each other’s tags. Death is no exception. Hisoka will understand and so will Killua, hopefully. All for the sake of keeping Killua from befriending troubling individuals. 

Will Gon pass Gittarackur’s judgement?

* * *

“Hisoka!” Leorio snarls loudly. 

“Hello to you too, Leorio~,” Hisoka greets. He smiles widely at the man scrambling to get to his feet. “How’s the exam going?”

“What’s it to ya?!” Leorio spat. He held Kurapika tightly in hand, arms wrapped tightly around his torso and scooping his arm under the smaller’s knees. Leorio slowly stood to his feet and lifted Kurapika up in his arms, bridal style. “I bet this match has been nothing but a walk in the park to you.” 

“Why, Leorio, I’m flattered,” Hisoka hums in awe as his arms go around to hug himself. He  _ bashfully _ aims his head away from Leorio, eyes  _ shyly  _ darting to and away from Leorio continuously. He bites his bottom lip to keep from smiling too widely. “I never knew you thought so highly of me. My heart... it’s racing~,” Hisoka says, the last part coming out hesitant and gentle.

Leorio clicks his tongue. “As if… So, you’re here for my tag, am I right?” Leorio cut to the chase, not at all buying into Hisoka’s bullshit. He’s only known the jester for as little as ten or so days, and Leorio’s learned from the very beginning not to trust the fickle man. 

“Bingo!” Hisoka chimes with a pointed finger at Leorio. He cocks his head back towards Leorio and angles his hips to one side, resting his hands on them. “But, what gave me away~?”

“I saw the way you eyed me down back at the ship. You’d think the hunter would be more discreet when hunting his prey.” Leorio side-steps, trying to somehow inch closer to his pocket knife or to find an opportunity to flee, but his and Kurapika’s weapons are out of reach and Hisoka’s eyes followed Leorio’s every movement. If that stretched grin wasn’t enough to creep him out then the way Hisoka’s eyes ogle him sure do. Leorio’s more pissed off then scared though, angry at the fact that his friend has been harmed. 

“Oh, but you see I wasn’t trying to be discreet. No, just the opposite.” Hisoka stretches his arms out on display. He makes one step forward as Leorio strides back. “Keeping my eye on you, scanning your build while reading your every movement, and planning exactly when and where to attack. Why, I was just coming up with a strategic way to have my six points.” Hisoka licks his lips, chuckling darkly as Leorio’s glare deepens. His eyes look ready to burst out of his face. Hisoka can help with that~. 

“Did my staring perhaps inflict paranoia upon you? My deepest apologies, really. How careless of me~.”

Leorio’s jaw clenches harder; his teeth are sure to break from the pressure. Hisoka is playing with him. He knew Leorio would be looking over his shoulder occasionally for the magician, he knew Leorio’s thoughts would cloud and only think of Hisoka killing him, the jester knew and planned it all as part of his mind game, and Leorio feels so stupid for playing along.

“As sorry as I am,” Hisoka continues, taking another step forward, “I’m still taking my six points~.”

Leorio swallows thickly; he can feel his blood pumping in his veins and his heart is beating loudly in his ears. Hisoka grew closer and Leorio could only step back, but what good would that do? He’s as good as dead! His trembling hands tighten their hold on Kurapika, instantly reminded of his friend in his grasp. Leorio glances down at Kurapika’s sleeping form. His jaw locks once again, veins now popping on his forehead. No, he can’t back down now, not after what Hisoka did to Kurapika. He’ll fight to protect his friends. He won’t let another tragedy happen on his watch!   


Leorio snaps his eyes back towards Hisoka with a tenacious glare and gawks in shock. The magician has disappeared. “Where is he?” Leorio mutters as he spun around in search of Hisoka. 

“Oh dear, the bug on the wall has disappeared~.” Hisoka’s voice echoes around him, mocking him left and right. 

Leorio gulps and calms himself for the moment. He stills, closing his eyes to focus on where that shrill voice is coming from. 

“Where could this insect have vanished to~?” Hisoka chimes in a hushed voice. “ _ Vermin _ .” 

Leorio’s eyes crinkle, not sure why or for what reason he’s doing so, but this was the only thing he could think of. A droplet of sweat rolls down the side of his face, clinging onto Leorio’s chin. He takes slow breaths through his dry lips and out his nostrils, waiting patiently for Hisoka to make a move. There’s a long, pregnant pause, Hisoka’s voice no longer mocking him. Leorio doesn’t falter though; he will remain still until something happens.

Then, something around him broke through his concentration in waves. Speaking in better words, it was almost as if something broke through a barrier of some kind and  _ that _ barrier sent off an alarm. Whatever it was, Leorio must act!   
  
In that instance, Leorio surges forward barely missing the hand slicing down from above and plummeting down into the very same spot he stood. As Leorio dove he lost his footing and hastily turns Kurapika and himself in time. He skid on his back, bouncing against the earth before coming to a stop. 

“Ahg, d-dammit,” he grumbles, groaning as he shakily sat himself up. Kurapika is heavier than he looks, practically knocking the wind out of Leorio with each bounce. Not only was his crushing weight painful, Leorio scraped his back across a few sharp rocks. He thought the grass would have served as a cushion to his fall, but he’s hurt either way.

“Did you teach yourself that?” Hisoka asks. The magician happily shakes the dirt from his hand and picks at the muck under his nails. He straightens his back and steps over the small crater he made. He made his way towards Leorio until he stood before him. Hisoka grins down at him, not at all surprised but still incredibly excited. Attacking Leorio was a risky move, but Leorio did  _ not  _ fail his expectations. “I doubt you even know what you did.”

“What are you going on about?” Leorio hisses between his teeth. He stood to his feet shakily with Kurapika still in hand. Although hurt, Leorio took a battle stance, ready to protect Kurapika. He isn’t sure how he was lucky enough to avoid that strike, but he shouldn’t question it; the gods are clearly on his side tonight. 

Hisoka giggles. “C’mon, you definitely felt  _ that  _ didn’t you?” Hisoka cups his own chin with one hand and the other goes to cup his elbow. He slowly circles Leorio, sharp eyes never leaving Leorio’s round ones. His smile only grows wider as he explains, “The way you focused intensely on your surroundings. Listening, sensing the littlest change around you. Why, I bet you felt the wind change direction before it passed through your spiked hair. It felt like a pulse didn’t it? A ripple when I broke through your wall?” 

Hisoka hums, finally coming to a stop in front of Leorio. Said man pulls a face, features screwed into a confused,  _ tense _ , look. Hisoka’s hit the bullseye on that. The poor man is wondering what, why, and how.  _ What was that bizarre feeling? Why was he able to feel that mild sensation? How did Hisoka know exactly what that feeling was? _ Well, fortunately for Leorio, he isn’t going insane. That phenomenon is an ancient form of self defense that only a handful of people hold in their grasp. A possession only a handful of people can use. 

_ Nen _ .

“Your  _ En _ was impressive, though, there’s always room for improvement. Still, you did fairly well for a first timer,” Hisoka praises.

Leorio raises a brow. “What are you talking about? You aren’t making any sense!” Leorio growls, baring his teeth at Hisoka. What is this nonsense Hisoka is spewing, knowing what Leorio felt and what not?  _ And, what the hell is En? _ Leorio shook the thought from mind. Never mind that, this is probably another one of Hisoka’s mind games. “Are you just going to talk or are you gonna fight me?!”

“So eager to die~.” Hisoka chuckles. He folds his arms. “You’ll understand in due time. No need to rush, after all, Nen takes years to master. Though, I haven’t a doubt you and your friends will learn it within a year or so. Maybe less.”

“What..?!” 

“Well, I’ve had my fun, it’s time for me to make my leave~,” Hisoka announces. 

Leorio gawks, mouth agape in shock. “T-That’s it?” he croaks. All this pumping adrenaline, the cuts on his back, and knocking Kurapika out just for this? “What- I- huh?!” he splutters, “What are-Weren’t you here for my tag?!” Leorio makes an odd, angry sound once Hisoka starts to walk away. He stomps his foot and shouts at the magician’s back, “Hey, don’t ignore me!”

“Geez, it’s like you want to die,” Hisoka hums. He turns to his side, acknowledging the flustered man. “I won’t kill you or your friend, that would be a waste. You see, you both have the potential to become great in the future, as do Gon and Killua. So until then, I’ll spare your lives. It’s for my own personal amusement, really~.” 

Leorio’s angry face fell and his tense form relaxes. His hands were gripping Kurapika roughly until now; there’s probably bruises on his arm. So that’s it? Leorio isn’t sure if he should thank Hisoka for sparing their lives or to question his antics further. Everything the magician has been saying until now had been nothing but gibberish to Leorio’s ears. As confused and annoyed as he is, Leorio should just let things be. Hisoka is allowing him to pass the fourth phase, what’s the harm in that? 

Hisoka offers Leorio a wide smile as a farewell before turning to leave. Leorio just softly glares at the other as he waits for Hisoka to take off. One step, two steps, Hisoka pauses on his third. 

“Oh, and about your ID tag,” Hisoka starts. He turns towards Leorio with the same smile. Said man sighs exasperatedly; of course Hisoka wasn’t going to let him go easily. Hisoka went to grab his own tag from his crop top and unfastens it. He turns the tag’s face towards himself, giving it a look over. “Unfortunately for you, I already took my six points,” Hisoka states, sharp eyes pointed back towards Leorio. 

“What? No, you didn’t!” Leorio gasps in a panic, searching for his suitcase. When he finally spots it the case remained sealed just as Leorio had left it, so there’s no way Hisoka could have stolen his tag!

“See for yourself~,” Hisoka says before showing Leorio the tag that supposedly belonged to Hisoka. He stretches his hand out towards Leorio and displays the tag he had in hand. Leorio gasps again, eyes widening at Hisoka as he near drops Kurapika from the shock. There in Hisoka’s hand was tag 403: Leorio’s tag! 

“How the hell?!” Leorio shouts, looking back between his suitcase and the tag in Hisoka’s hold. “This has got to be a trick. There’s no way!” Leorio subconsciously steps back, wanting to run towards his suitcase to verify.    


“A trick? That’s probably the case, but how could you be so sure?” Hisoka shrugs his shoulders with his hands out in gesture. He giggles, laughing at Leorio’s distress. Leorio really is an open book, even his aura flapped in anguish. He places the tag back on his shirt. “Well, if you don’t mind me, I’ll be on my way. Toodles~.” Hisoka waves his hand and fingers goodbye as he turns briskly, walking off again. 

“Wait, no! Hisoka…?!” Leorio growls agitated. Taking one last look at Hisoka, Leorio sprints towards his suitcase. He squats down, using his knees as a base to rest Kurapika on. With one arm wrapped around Kurapika’s torso, Leorio’s free hand grabs the suitcase and brings it closer before fiddling with its latch. Leorio can hear his own heart pounding in his ears as a bead of sweat runs down his face.  _ Come one, come on!  _ Not a moment later, Leorio’s case snaps open. The moment of truth. Leorio flings the case all the way open, impatient as he digs into the inner pockets. 

“Please, please… Here it is!” Leorio cries, pulling his ID tag out of the pocket and holding it up, as if displaying it to the gods themselves. Leorio’s eyes were glossy, beaming at the tag that seemingly sparkled in his hand. “I knew Hisoka was pulling my leg!” Leorio is grinning from ear to ear, happy to see tag 403 safe in his hand. He brings it close to face, eyeing it all over and making sure it's the real deal. He sighs heavily, feeling like the luckiest man alive. Then, his tag jerks in his hold, twice. Leorio’s brows raise in surprise, blaming the wind for his tag twitching about. The only problem was, Leorio didn’t feel a breeze. 

His tag jerks in his hold again, and before Leorio could tighten his fingers, his tag rips away from his grasp. Leorio gasps, quickly reaching his hand out to catch the runaway tag. Had it not been for Kurapika, Leorio would have lunged at his tag. 

“Thanks for the six points,” Hisoka says. Leorio’s brows furrow, eyes widening as he watches Hisoka reel in his ID tag in hand, like magic. “Now I can pass on to the fifth phase~!”

Leorio slumps, a dejected look on his features. He curses under his breath, glaring at the ground. He knew it was a trick; he really should have listened to his gut feeling, but he just had to check. Leorio grits his teeth as he clenches his eyes shut. The back of his eyes burned with frustrated tears as his figure quakes with anger. He feels like he just lost the whole exam. Of course, Leorio’s got five days remaining to recover his ID, get his target’s three points, or aim for other one pointers, but who is he kidding? He’s not skilled like Killua, agile like Gon, or keen like Kurapika. Without them, Leorio wouldn’t even had made it this far. Leorio tried to keep his tag safe to make the exam easier for him, but even that he couldn’t do. 

“Dammit…!” Leorio growls, hands itching to punch something.

Hisoka’s brows raise, observing Leorio. The man is so pitiful, so angered by losing his own tag. His aura flows sorrowfully, expressing grim colors such as black and blue; his frame trembles in anguish, trying to keep Kurapika in his shaky grip, and his face is downcast, shadowing his eyes. Leorio looks as though he lost the most important thing in his life. Supposed that’s what it is, becoming a hunter benefits a person more than they could ever ask for. While Hisoka could use his license to get out of trouble, Leorio was actually going to use it to help mankind. 

Hisoka lightly frowns, actually feeling sorry for Leorio. He always liked being the cause of people’s misery and woe, but this time Hisoka felt like a horrible person. He liked the expressive, happy, irate Leorio he saw on the ship, not this depressive shell of a man. Leorio actually made his chest swell in guilt. Hisoka hasn’t felt this feeling in years; he was sure he got rid of these emotions a long time ago. Suppose he really is just a human. 

“Don’t look so glum~!” Hisoka encourages. He strolls over to Leorio, his frown replaced with his signature grin. “You’ve got five days left, plenty of time to hunt me down and get your ID back~! Hey, you may even succeed in killing me. Isn’t that exciting?” Hisoka stood before Leorio, looking down on him. Leorio didn’t twitch nor grew alarmed with the deadly magician in front of him. He still hopelessly kept his gaze fixated on the ground. Hisoka’s grin falls, eyes narrowing at the broken man. Leorio’s aura didn’t make him feel any better, touching him and turning his mood foul, and here Hisoka came to have a good time. 

With a heavy sigh, Hisoka speaks, “Fine, I’ll return your ID back.” Leorio twitches reacting to his words. Hisoka’s smile returns to face. “I don’t like that gloomy look on your face, so I’m going to cut you some slack.”

Leorio slowly looks up at Hisoka, glossy eyes glaring at him. Hisoka’s smile widens, happy that the mood has changed a bit. Though Leorio’s aura still expressed black and blue, there’s a bit of interest to it. 

“What’s the catch...?” Leorio asks in a low-pitched voice. Hisoka’s smile grew wider. Was he that easy to read? Of course he wasn’t going to make this  _ that _ easy for Leorio.

“I already deemed you worthy of becoming a hunter, but that simply won’t do with me taking your three points, right? So, we’ll play a game; of course one you’ve set up. A game of wits, agility, strength, whatever you prefer; it doesn’t matter to me. Now, doesn't that sound like fun?” Hisoka asks, cutely tilting his head, but Leorio didn’t seem to think it was cute. “This way I can further confirm if you truly pass. If you win, I’ll leave you two alone and you can keep your tag, but if I win~,” Hisoka chuckles lowly, lips pulling back to show his pearly whites, “Not only do I keep your tag, but I also get to kill you~.” 

* * *

Gon pants, chest rising and falling with each breath as he presses himself against the trunk of the tree. He’s frozen, listening intently to the sounds around him. He swallows, trying to keep himself hidden again, like he did earlier with Hisoka.  _ Be quiet; be steady; be still.  _

He’s hidden in one of the tall trees, buried in the leaves. He stood on one of the many branches, thankful that the one he chose is sturdy. Gon swallows thickly, a bead of sweat running down his face.  _ Calm down, he can sense your heartbeat.  _ Gon takes a short moment to calm his frantically beating heart before deciding to go on the move. With his fishing rod close at hand, Gon leapt out of the frond. He leaps from tree to tree, swiftly swinging through the branches. His years camping out in the forest have trained him well. His eyes adapted to the darkness easily.

Once Gon came to a stop, landing in another full tree, he palms the trunk, keeping stable as he looks around. The leaves conceal him from the moonlight perfectly; Gon is sure to have the perfect hiding spot, but who could hide from an assassin?

Gon makes his way towards the end of the branch, side stepping slowly towards the tip with his arms out to maintain balance. He stops when deciding the branch couldn’t further support his weight. He makes one step back and brings his hands back to his side, making sure his fishing rod is out of eyesight. 

After a moment of surveying his surroundings, Gon sighs. Pouting, he loosely folds his arms with his fishing rod.  _ I guess I lost him.  _ Did he really escape Gittarackur that easily? The man is an assassin; Gon was sure he was going to have a tougher time fleeing from the other’s clutches. Killua would have found him by now. 

Gon frowns, looking down at his shoes. “Maybe I should have been slower,” Gon mutters, gently digging his heel into the wood, moodily.  _ And, I thought I was going to have fun.  _ Gon sighs heavily once more before dropping his arms.  _ I guess I should go find Hisoka. _ The sheer mention of the magician’s name made Gon’s eyes widen and his lips part.

“I forgot about Leorio!” Gon curses under his breath. How could he have let himself get caught up in this game of cat and mouse when his friend is in danger?! Hisoka mentioned before that Leorio is his target. He’s probably tormenting Leorio by now! Gon narrows his eyes, bending down to apply weight onto his legs for his leap out of the leaves, but the branch he’s on was hit with a heavy weight. 

“Whoa!” Gon gasps, wobbling along with the disturbed tree. He hurriedly grabs onto the shaking branch, trying to maintain balance whilst the wing came to a slow stop. As the branch vibrates from the blow, Gon finally notices the presence that’s joined him. Gon’s eyes were wide, fixated on the branch he still held onto. 

“Are you done hiding?” Gittarackur questions, perched up on the same branch Gon was on. Gittarackur’s hand held onto a nearby branch for security while the other went to push his long, raven hair behind his ear. “We may have five days left, but I don’t plan on chasing you throughout the whole fourth phase.”

Gon gulps, trembling as he slowly turns his gaze towards the other. Gon’s heart skips a beat; Gittarackur’s lifeless eyes sent chills down his spine. Gon slowly rose, grip on his fishing rod tense and ready to defend.

“So,” Gittarackur continues, reaching his free hand out towards Gon with a smile, “Hand over your tag.”

Gon leaps back, springing out of the leaves with his glare fixated on Gittarackur. A flock of birds breaks out of the tree, crying out in alert, frightened by Gon breaching and disrupting their gentle night. As Gon plunges to the earth, he saw as Gittarackur rose to his feet, still grinning. The scattering birds caused feathers to fall and spread, leaves too fell from the tree they once lived in. Frame by frame, Gon’s vision is transfixed on Gittarackur, but a fleeing feather was in the way of his vision; as the feather left his view, Gittarackur was no longer perched up on the branch.     


Coming to a landing, Gon hastily squats down before pushing forward with all his weight, giving himself a running start as he works around the trees. He can hear it, the way Gittarackur chases after him, no longer trying to be discreet. Gon’s adrenaline is pumping; he’s trembling fearfully, but despite his fear, Gon is smiling widely. He’s scared, but he’s thrilled. He wants to live, but a brush with death is exciting. He doesn’t want to be pierced with dozens of needles, but he wants to be closer to Gittarackur. Gittarackur is so much  _ fun _ .

“Where are you running off to?” Gittarackur calls out, voice sounding closer then Gon would like it to be. Gon leaps, surging up towards the trees. Grabbing a feeble branch, Gon swung himself into the next tree, snapping the branch whilst doing so. Landing on another, this time stout, branch, Gon speeds off through the trees, hopping and swinging from branch to branch.    


Gittarackur’s eyes widen, smile growing. Gon is using the trees to conceal himself again, blending with the shadowing of the bushy trees in hopes to lose Gittarackur. Such a silly tactic won’t work on him. If it didn’t work the first time, what made Gon think it would work this time?

“You’re strange, Gon. With all your staring, I thought you wanted me?” Gittarackur affirms, thinking back to all the peering Gon has been making up to this point. “Well, here I am! C’mon, I’m too old to play  _ hide and seek _ !” Gittarackur  _ laughs  _ as he darts out of the way of the trees. This is the most entertaining thing he’s done in the exam,  _ in a while _ . This game they’re playing has got Gittarackur’s adrenaline pumping. He can feel the way his blood ran excitedly through his flaring veins. He wonders how fast Gon really is? The boy is obviously holding back. 

Gittarackur’s nails enlarge as he spreads his fingers. He slows down some, allowing his prey to run through the trees at a farther distance. Gittarackur then hunches down before springing towards Gon with such speed and force, cratering the earth beneath him. The second Gon turns his head to look at his predator, Gittarackur’s lips pull to show his pearly whites. His arms advance before him, sharp claws pointed towards Gon.

Gittarackur observes in slow motion as Gon’s eyes widen and his pupils shrink fearfully. As Gittarackur’s nails were about an inch apart from Gon’s spine, almost ripping the boys outfit, Gon takes off, fleeing at such a speed that Gittarackur lost sight of him. Gittarackur pulls back, expanding a shroud of his aura,  _ En,  _ to engulf the area around him. With it, Gittarackur can extend his  _ En _ up to 50 meters, or far longer, sensing the dozens of trees and hundreds of birds residing in them. 

As Gittarackur lands on a branch, he sensed Gon running towards another direction of the forest, escaping faster than before. Gittarackur hums, impressed by Gon’s agility. He wastes no time in sprinting towards Gon, heart set on his target. Gittarackur commends Gon for his abilities. He’s proven his worth. Being able to dodge his attack with ease, of course with Gittarackur holding back some; being able to hide himself, that while being unaware of using  _ Zetsu  _ to do so; running through the forest with such agility, and in the darkest of nights; Gittarackur is amazed by this kid’s capability.

What kind of training did Gon endure to be at this level of skill? Remembering Gon’s background, Gittarackur knows he grew up in an island covered in trees. No doubt Gon spent most of his young life camping out in the woods and learning about the rules of the wild. Gon has earned Gittarackur’s respect. He is truly a worthy companion for Killua.

“Impressive. I didn’t think you could dodge that. I almost lost sight of you for a second!” Gittarackur exclaims, letting the other know he’s still hot on his trail. Gittarackur is still smiling, reminiscing back to the times he would play with his beloved brothers. His favorite game he would play with them was  _ hide and seek.  _ It always stirred Gittarackur on. His siblings never really liked to play that game with him though. Gittarackur still wonders to this day why that is.

Still leaping through the wings of the trees, Gon looks back for a second before looking forward immediately, jittery. Gittarackur had this eerie smile on his face. Eyes wide enough to see the whites around Gittarackur’s large irises, pupils expanded like those of an alert cat, malevolent smile stretched like a madman’s, and his face darkened like bangs shadowing his face, but Gittarackur didn’t have anything to cause such an obscurity. Everything about Gittarackur is terrifying, sure to haunt the dreams of anyone who witnesses it, and Gon has never been so happy to see it.

Gon is panting, face dripping with sweat from all his running and climbing. He’s normally used to racing more than this, but his adrenaline pumping has caused Gon to tire quickly. He can feel his legs screaming for a break.  _ Just a bit more!  _

Gon looks back once more, smiling his own smug grin before pushing forward again with all his weight. Driving through the leaves, Gon was surging in the air. His smile then falls, eyes widening as he was met with the end of a cliff. Gon spins himself with all his might, looking back towards the trees. He was so focused on their game of chase that he didn’t notice they were at the edge of a bluff. Gittarackur soon came to a skidding stop, and by the look on his face, he didn’t notice the cliff either.

Gon has jumped a large distant, a few meters away from land. With one last resort, Gon draws his rod back before casting the fishing line towards the trees. Once the line hooks onto one of the branches, Gon grips the handle of his rod and tugs at the wing, wanting to pull himself close enough to land. With this, Gon could come to a hard landing against the wall of the cliff, he could then proceed to climb up the face and hop onto land. But, Gon didn’t have time to focus on which branch to hook to.

With his hurried tug, Gon has caused the wing of the tree to easily snap off. Gon’s narrowed eyes widen in shock, watching in slow motion as he dove down the cliff. 

_ Am I… going to die?  _ Gon’s pupils shrink, irises trembling in realization.  _ But I can’t die now, I can’t. My friends, my Aunt Mito and Grandma Abe, Ging… _ Gon’s life flashes before his eyes: remembering the small adventure he had with Ging before being given up to Aunt Mito, remembering all the tedious tasks Aunt Mito would put him through and bedtime stories Grandma Abe would tell him about Ging, remembering all the friends he’s met and made in the forest like Kon and Kite. He has no regrets, other than dying. He wishes he could see his friends, Leorio, Kurapika, and Killua, one more time to thank them for putting up with him, for being his first friends around his age, for making the hunter exam loads of fun, for everything. 

Gon had almost forgotten about Gittarackur. He no longer had a crazed smile on his face, instead replaced with a shocked one. His hair flew gracefully to the left, billowing with the wind. He’s hunched, panting slowly, or maybe it seemed that way since Gon is viewing everything at a snail’s pace. 

_ No regrets? Well, maybe just one.  _

Gon wishes he could have spent a little more time with Gittarackur, still having so many questions to ask. He’s grateful to have spent some time with the assassin. Gon’s had so much fun up until now, he’s thankful. So, he offers Gittarackur a sincere toothy grin, smiling so wide he had to close his eyes.  _ I had fun. _

Opening his eyes again, Gon’s eyelids widen as Gittarackur ran towards him. Gittarackur’s brows were slightly furrowed, eyes barely narrowing in a determined glare as he jogs towards Gon.

_ Gon is going to die.  _ The boy, despite being skilled, agile, and strong, is just that; a boy. There’s no way he could survive the fall of the cliff without  _ Nen _ to aid him. The height of the cliff is grave; an unavoidable death. Had Gon learned how to manipulate his aura, he could use his  _ Nen _ to avoid a harsher blow with minimal bruising. How didn’t Gittarackur notice the damn bluff?  He would have lead Gon away from it. Now the damn island hic is going to meet an early death, and with that damn smile on his face.  _ Dammit!  _

With one foot firmly placed on the edge of the cliff, Gittarackur grabs onto the fishing line before it was out of arm’s reach. He glares at Gon in that instant, making sure the boy held on tight. Once he saw Gon’s grip tighten on the handle, Gittarackur yanks hard on the line, the pressure he placed onto his leg causing the edge of the buff to break and crumble beneath him. Gittarackur clenches his jaw and swings Gon back onto land before he dove in Gon’s stead. 

Gittarackur watched as Gon came to a harsh landing, skidding and bouncing against the earth before coming to a heavy stop against a tree. Gon groans, lifting himself off of the ground with his arms holding him up. The last thing Gittarackur witnesses is the terrorized face of Gon, the face Gon should have made when he was about to die. He falls the great height, watching the way Gon ran towards the edge and drawing his fishing line back. 

_ Does he plan on fishing me to safety?  _ Gittarackur brows raise as Gon casts his fishing line towards him, but Gon’s efforts are in vain; Gittarackur has dove a long distance, his fishing line can’t reach him now.

“Gittarackur!” Gon shouts, echoing into the nothing of night. 

_ Why did I save him?  _ Gittarackur wonders why he risked his own life to rescue a boy he just met. It’s ridiculous how things ended up. Gittarackur could have easily saved Gon and avoided being in this situation, falling to his  _ death _ , but Gittarackur was panicked, acting in the heat of the moment. Perhaps, being the same age as his brother, Killua, Gittarackur did what any older brother would have done: save his kin in an act of love. Gon’s lucky to have stumbled upon such a noble big brother like himself. He can still picture the distraught face Gon pulled while watching him fall. It sent flutters into his meek chest.

_ “Shotacon~,”  _ Hisoka’s annoying voice echoes in his head; even now does the magician pester him so. 

“I was just observing…!” Gittarackur exclaims as he falls to the earth like it isn’t something to worry about. 

* * *

“Gittarackur!” Gon screams, falling to his hands and knees on the edge as he watches Gittarackur fall to his end.  _ He saved me, he saved me...! _ Gittarackur, the man who at first didn’t glance his way, the man who ended up hunting him down with a grin on his face, just saved Gon’s life.

“Dammit!” Gon shouts, punching the soil beneath him. He fists the grass, gritting his teeth as he clenches his eyes shut.  _ I should have minded my own business, kept to myself!  _ Gon curses, wishing to turn back time. He should have stuck to hunting Hisoka instead of approaching Gittarackur. Had he left the man alone, none of this would have happened: Gittarackur hunting him, talking to him, smiling at him; Gon would give it all back in favor of Gittarackur living.

“Gittarackur…!” Gon growls lowly. His trembling arms could no longer support his torso; Gon shakely drop his head to the ground with a hard bump. He didn’t at all mind the achiging pain on his forehead, nor did he care about the stinging pain of his bandaged hands. He deserves this, deserves the pain he’s receiving, afterall, this is all  _ his _ fault. He can’t,  _ won’t _ ever forgive himself. Gon’s blood boils with anger, his chest swells with guilt, and his stomach knots in grief. He feels so helpless, so weak.

_ Pathetic. _

Then, there’s a faint splashing sound. Gon’s glossy orbs snap open in that instant, quickly lifting himself up to look back down over the edge. He jolts, eyes beaming at the river flowing right below the bluff. Gon is soon back on his feet, hurriedly taking hold of his fishing rod once again before bolting into the woods. 

He’s running around the trees, leaping over boulders and sprouting tree roots, and charging through shrubs and bushes. Gon needs to find a way around this cliff; Gittarackur may still have a fighting chance. The bluff is right above a flowing stream, and Gittarackur fell directly into it. The river would have provided a softer blow, though, there’s no way of telling if the water is deep enough. He needs to get to Gittarackur. He may have severely fractured his body, or hopefully, is just suffering with minor bruising. Nevertheless, Gon is going to save him this time. Alive or not, Gon still owes Gittarackur for saving his life. He’ll show his thanks by aiding his,  _ or giving  _ Gittarackur _ the proper burial he deserves.  _

_ Stop it! He’s still alive!  _ Gon tries to convince himself as he lept over a large bush. He latches onto a branch and swung to the next, landing shakily on his feet. Gon takes a small pause, wiping the sweat from his chin as he takes a breather. He needs to calm down; his adrenaline is high and his heart is running a mile a minute. If he lets his excitement get the best of him, he’ll pass out, or worse. Closing his eyes, Gon takes a sharp breath and slowly lets it slip out through his nose.  _ Calm down. _

Gon repeats this action three more times before opening his eyes. He swallows thickly, a bit more relaxed than previously. Now that his mind isn’t in a jumbled panic, Gon can continue. Gon pinches his nose, giving it a slight twist before releasing it and taking a mighty whiff of the air. Since they’re surrounded by a large body of water, it’ll be tricky to locate the river; it doesn’t mean Gon won’t give it a try. Gon sniffs the air once more, concentrating for a moment before dashing forward in the trees. He’s found the faint scent, now Gon’s next goal is to find the stream. 

Gon darts from tree to tree, this time not tiring out quicker than before, but something in the air made Gon shudder. Gon skims his surroundings as he continues through the forest. Someone is following him; not only can he feel a glare fixated on his back, he can hear the woods around him being disturbed by something distant and fast.  _ Why now?  _ Gon clenches his jaw as he made zigzags, rapidly leaping and climbing through different trees in hopes of losing his pursuer. 

Gon then jolts back once something darts past his eyes. He lands to the ground and takes another look at the object that near pierced him. His pupils shrink once he recognized a sleeping dart lodged into the trunk of the tree. Gon instantly spins, skimming the forest intently. He forgot he was also being targeted by another hunter applicant. He didn’t sense their presence at all. Could it be he’s been stalked since the beginning, since his game with Gittarackur? Were they waiting for Gittarackur to disappear before getting to Gon?

“Damn it,” Gon murmurs, shifting his eyes. Gon’s eyes then fall on a high tree.There was nothing particular about the tree, but Gon can feel the peering eyes looking at him from the full frod. Once his assailant discovered Gon had noticed them, they fire another sleeping dart his way. Gon skids back, dodging the attack. He then sprints towards another direction of the woods; Gon can hear his aggressor ruffling out of the leaves and following after him.

Gon growls, cursing loudly as he picked up speed. He can’t go to Gittarackur now, not with someone targeting him. He has no choice but to flee. Gon’s eyes fill with frustrated tears. He has neglected his priorities in favor of having fun. He forgot about his target, Hisoka; forgot about saving Leorio from said magician; forgot about the point of the fourth phase; forgot the reasoning behind becoming a hunter. It all started with Ging and wanting to find him. Even if he made great friends along the way, Gon was only suppose to get his licence and go on his journey for Ging. Now he’s cost the life of his new friend, Gittarackur. He never wanted to bring harm to his friends. He’s so pathetic, so weak; he’s such a failure. He’s..

_ A killer.  _

After a while of fleeing, Gon had taken refuge in a shrub. He’s been hiding in the bush for about ten minutes now, not moving an inch or making a sound. The boy isn’t sure if he’s successfully lost his pursuer; he may be waiting for Gon to make a move.  _ This is different, scarier then when Gittarackur chased me.  _ Gon frowns, mournful of his fallen friend for a moment before shaking the thought from mind. There’s nothing he can do now; Gon has to lose the predator before going to search for his new friend, still making Gittarackur his top priority.

Gon takes another minute in the leaves before deeming it safe to carry on. Gon moves slowly out of the shrub, gripping the handle of his fishing rod tightly for the sake of defending himself. He listens intently to his surroundings, eyes darting back and forth between the trees as he finally stepped completely out of the bushes. Gon straightens his back and sighs in relief. He lost his assailant, for now. He should proceed to find Gittarackur, this time with caution. 

Gon scampers forward quietly through through the woods. Gon is sure to hide himself through the darker parts of the forest, not wanting to become discovered again. As he continues down the forest, Gon pinches his nose again and sniffs the air. While running away from his aggressor, Gon had made many turns in his direction. Gon has lost the route to the river, but he’s picked up another familiar scent.

_ Leorio!  _ Gon skids to a stop and hides inside a still standing tree trunk with a hollow center. He ogles the ground sternly. Leorio could still be in need of his help, Gon picked up the magician’s sweet aroma as well, but Gon really wants to save Gittarackur first. Although, if Gon chooses to go find Gittarackur in favor of helping Leorio, Gon may be risking Leorio’s life. Gon doesn’t plan on losing another friend this time, so he’ll go to Leorio; he won’t allow another tragedy to happen by his hands again.

* * *

“So, do we have a deal~?”  Hisoka questions with a tilt of his head.

Leorio’s eyes shift from the magician's orbs to the tag he’s flipping in his hand. Hisoka has proposed him a deal: Leorio has to construct one game for Hisoka and himself. Should Leorio win, he gets to keep his tag, but should he lose, Hisoka gets to take his life. To fail the exam and walk away alive or to risk dying in order to pass the 4th phase.

“Fine,” Leorio grumbles, eyes returning to Hisoka. The magician’s grin stretches, amused as Leorio rose from his squatting position. With Kurapika in hand, Leorio carries his still unconscious friend towards a leaning tree. Leorio knew he was risking his life when he signed up for the hunter exam; the situation he’s in is no different than what he expected. He’s got one chance to regain his stolen ID and to get Hisoka off his back for good. Of course, Leorio could always retake the exam next year, but there’s no guarantee he’ll make it as far as he did now. 

Leorio gently leans Kurapika against the leaning base of the tree and assures his friend, “I’ll get us out of this,” before standing up right. His glare returns to Hisoka as he walks back towards the grinning magician. “So, I have to make up the game?” Leorio reconfirms as he stood a meter away from Hisoka, fists tightly pressed to his sides. 

“Yes sir~,” Hisoka answers with a nod of his head. Leorio’s tag now spun on the tip of his index finger.

“Any rules?” Leorio questions, eyes remaining glued to Hisoka’s own orbs to avoid the taunt of his tag. 

“Just the ones you’ve set up~.”

“Alright then… Give me a second.” Leorio crosses his arms and ogles the grass, thinking long and hard on a game that's to his advantage. Leorio knows the other would most likely lie and take his tag anyway, or could easily win the game he sets up, but Leorio has no other choice but to oblige. Now the question is: What game would be in Leorio’s favor? 

Hisoka has said so before, the game could be of anything Leorio thinks of. So maybe something simple, like tic tac toe or rock paper scissors. Leorio certainly can’t win against a game of speed or strength against Hisoka. The memories of Hisoka killing participants and challenging Leorio and Kurapika in the fog still lingered in mind. Hisoka is far stronger than Leorio could ever hope to be, and his agility is far beyond comparison. So, a simple game will do… though, now that Leorio remembers, he isn’t good at those. With his experience with the prisoners a few days ago, Leorio doesn’t feel so confident anymore. That female guard really took a toll on his self esteem when he lost a simple game of rock paper scissors. Even his friends tried warning him to use scissors instead of rock.

_ “Leorio…! How about whether or not you’re still in your teens?!”  _ Leorio’s crossed arms tighten as he glares at the ground, remembering Gon’s suggestion when he was wagering with the female prisoner.  _ I don’t look that old.  _ Leorio then clicks his tongue as he recollects Kurapika joking about his age whilst on the ship. Leorio’s face turns sour, scowling hard as he silently huffs. Is this really something he’s going to bet on? It’s more than obvious he’s a teenager… right? Everyone, especially his friends, gave him the same shocked expression when Leorio revealed his age. 

“You know,” Hisoka interrupts, making Leorio look back up at him, “The night may be young, but I don’t intend on waiting for you forever~. Could you maybe speed it up~?” 

“Fine… Fine, alright! I got a game for ya,” Leorio huffs, not believing what he’s about to do. He uncrosses his arms and stuffs his hands into his pockets, scowling hard but not at Hisoka, but for the bet he’s about to set.

Hisoka flips Leorio’s tag once more in hand before holding it firmly between the knuckle of his forefinger and his thumb. His grin couldn’t stretch any bigger as he awaits in excitement for the game Leorio will set up. He can feel his own aura buzz and seep from his control in sinister excitement. 

“So, what game will we be playing~?” Hisoka near chimes, biting his lip in anticipation. He’s more than confident he’ll win Leorio’s game. Whether it’s one of agility, strength, or intellect, Hisoka is positive he’ll triumph.  _ Oh, that’s right.  _ He mustn't forget the reason for this game. Hisoka wants Leorio to advance to the next phase. Still, it doesn't mean he can’t have a little fun.    


“A wager. One bet with one winner. How does that sound?” Leorio proposes, still grimacing at himself.    


“Really? One bet? Confident now, aren’t we? I like that~,” Hisoka appeals, chuckling  _ cutely.  _ Hisoka’s on his toes, eager to know what kind of wager Leorio has set up. Are they going to bet on who can climb the highest mountain or who can lift the biggest boulder; will they play a game of wits, like solving a complicating riddle in less than a minute; or will they race down the river and back? The possibilities are endless! Hisoka can feel his hands tingling, hungry to draw blood. Goodness, if Hisoka doesn’t calm himself down now, there’s no telling what he’ll do. He feels like he’s going to  _ schwing _ with the way his bloodlust is rising. It’s making him tingle, and oh does he want Leorio~. 

Leorio gulps as a droplet of sweat clung to his chin. Hisoka’s smile has grown eerily and his eyes have become sharp. Hisoka is more than eager for this game, and it made Leorio second guess his choices. There is no way he can pull this off, Hisoka isn’t dumb; he’ll guess the answer right. Unlike his friends, Hisoka is keen.  _ I might as well throw in the towel.  _ Although Leorio doubts Hisoka will guess incorrectly, there’s a voice in the back of his head nagging him to push on; probably Kurapika’s voice.

With an exasperated look on his face, Leorio sighs dramatically before finally speaking, “You have one minute, okay?” Hisoka nods, too busy biting his own lip to speak. The hairs on the back of Leorio’s neck stand; Hisoka is itching to play. With one last hesitant sigh, Leorio points his thumb towards himself, and asks, “Am I in my teens or not?”

Hisoka’s grin falls, lips parting as he affirms, “If you’re in your teens?” Hisoka’s single brow raises, bewildered by the odd challenge. Leorio nods, frowning as if he couldn’t believe his own wager. Of all the things Leorio could have come up with, a riddle, a simple algebraic equation, strip poker, and he comes up with this? Why, even the glare on Leorio’s face shows that he isn’t too ecstatic about his own wager. 

“Okay, I guess I’ll play along.” Hisoka lightly frowns himself. He got excited over nothing. “But, how will I know you won’t lie about your age?”

“I have my driver's license to verify,” Leorio confirms, gesturing a finger down towards his open suitcase. “It’s in there. You can confirm for yourself after your guess.” 

“Alright then, I’ll play your little game.” Hisoka nods before cupping his chin with his free hand. He hums in wonder, crossing his leg over the other and digging his heel into the soil. Leorio is tall, way too tall to be under fourteen; he’s a bit taller than Hisoka if said magician didn’t wear his heels. He examines Leorio’s frame from head to toe. Leorio’s stubble and sideburns give the impression that he’s in his mid-thirties or early forties. It’s so clearly obvious Leorio is older, so Hisoka parts his lips and points his index finger up to speak, but then Hisoka wasn’t so sure anymore. Leorio wouldn't have challenged him with such a question if it were this easy. So Hisoka purses his lips, grabbing his chin once again as he scans Leorio closely. 

Perhaps Leorio is a teen after all, or is he much older than he appears? The chairman of the Hunter Association, Isaac Netero, is more than a century old, and the elder looks to be in his seventies. Maybe Hisoka would have an easier time reading Leorio’s aura? 

Hisoka takes a moment to watch the way Leorio’s aura flows together, recollecting the way it oozed throughout the exam. It expresses so much emotion like a short tempered teen, but there’s no way. Come to think of it, Leorio can’t be older than forty without greying hairs or wrinkles. Of course, there’s the possibility of Leorio dying his hair, and a bit of makeup can help cover any imperfections. Another alternative could be that Leorio would be able to slow the aging process by controlling his aura, but it's been established that Leorio doesn’t know how to use Nen, so the man should have crows-feet at least. Looking closely, Leorio’s skin is smooth with a few bumps here and there; fresh acne scars adorn his face as well.  _ This is a tough challenge after all… _

Leorio’s eye twitches, frowning deeply as his lips press tightly together. The longer Hisoka takes to answer, the angrier Leorio gets. The man has been ogling him closely, making faces and humming in deep thought.  _ Does Hisoka really not see it? _ Leorio grumbles, rubbing at his face irritatingly with his hands.  _ I can’t believe he can’t tell! _ Leorio felt like shouting, visibly upset and not maintaining a proper poker face like he should, but Hisoka is too deep in his thoughts to notice.

It’s been more than a minute now, but Leorio spares Hisoka the extra seconds in hopes that the other could guess right, completely forgetting that his life is on the line. This is completely unbelievable to Leorio; he’s clearly in his teens…!

“No, there’s no way… You tire out way too easily and become agitated over the littlest things, qualities of an older man,” Hisoka concludes, talking to himself. Leorio then glares at him, nostrils flaring angrily as his face scrunches up furiously. 

“Time’s up! Tell me your answer,” Leorio fumes. 

Hisoka jolts out of his thoughts once Leorio barked at him. He sulks, bothered that the challenge question was trickier than he thought. Hisoka then shrugs, letting his hands fall to his side.

“Well, with all the evidence, I’d say you’re obviously in your…,” Hisoka drifts off, brows raising at the way Leorio’s features lit up. Hisoka felt his cheeks heat up, liking the way the other looked hopeful at him. It made his chest flutter. “You’re obviously in your…forties- no, thirties…?” Leorio’s buoyant face then falls, dramatically, mouth hanging agape with his brows furrowed sadly. So much for that pleasing feeling in Hisoka’s chest, now it's swelling in discontent from that somber look Leorio is making.    


Leorio slumps, letting his head hang low as his hands turn into fists. Not only do his friends not see him as a teenager, but Hisoka doesn’t see him for his age either? Leorio’s frame shook with anger as his shoulders raise, his jaw clenches, lips pulling back to show his teeth. He’s so angry, so beyond sick of everyone thinking he’s an old man.

Leorio then looks back at Hisoka with this piercing glare and points his thumb towards himself before shouting, “I’m in my teens, you clown!” 

Hisoka’s eyes then widen, jaw dropping in surprise, and before he could even respond, Hisoka’s head is sent flying to the side, struck by a flying object. Through the magician’s peripheral vision, he can see the all too familiar object that swung at him. It was a red sphere with a hook attached to it. Caught off guard by Leorio revealing his age, Hisoka didn’t even see the attack coming.

Leorio’s taken aback, recognizing the flying weapon that struck Hisoka. Frame by frame, Leorio watches the way Hisoka’s head roughly tosses to the side as his body fought to stay afoot. The sudden attack caused Leorio’s tag to slip from Hisoka’s grasp, dropping to the ground instantly. 

_ This is my chance!  _ Leorio wastes no time in grabbing his ID tag as the fishing hook reels back. With his tag now in hand, Leorio darts away from Hisoka and towards Kurapika.  _ Thank you, Gon!  _ Leorio praises his savior as he kneels down to scoop Kurapika in his arms again. Once he’s on his feet, Leorio is running off, leaving his and Kurapika’s belongings behind.

Meanwhile, Hisoka is still in his stumbled position.  _ What just happened? _ He slowly pulls his head back, only to watch the way Leorio flees with his unconscious friend. Hisoka’s hand goes up to gently finger his throbbing cheek. He was struck by the ball of a fishing rod. Now who does he know that carries such a weapon? Hisoka turns towards the direction the fishing line had reeled back towards, and he isn’t at all surprised at what he sees.

There was Gon, standing a distance away with a fixated, hard, stare on Hisoka. Said man’s lips curve into a big smile once he saw his own ID tag in Gon’s raised hand.  _ The little sucker must have ripped it off of my person when I was hit. _ The sneaky hunter used the opportunity of Hisoka being off guard to attack him dead center. During the strike, Gon watched keenly as his hook dove, and when it was at a certain height, he reeled the fishing line back, successfully attaching it to Hisoka’s tag before yanking it off. 

Hisoka chuckles lowly, pressing his finger roughly onto his swollen cheek. This brings him back to the first phase; Gon saved Leorio the same way during their confrontation in the fog. The boy is such a daring one, so unique, so ripe for the picking that Hisoka couldn’t contain his bloodlust any longer. His sinister aura skyrockets, engulfing the whole perimeter and quacking the very trees themselves. Although excited, Hisoka’s a bit peeved; Gon interrupted his moment with Leorio. 

“What a naughty boy, interrupting a conversation between adults. You should be punished~,” Hisoka warns in a chime. He turns to face his body fully towards Gon. The boy didn’t seem at all phased by his threat, instead, Gon looked as though he was anticipating this. The young applicant drops his arm and turns to his side, determined eyes stare right into Hisoka’s before running off into the woods. 

“So, you want me to play? Fine, let’s play~.”

* * *

_ All I’ve been doing is running tonight.  _ Gon feigns a breathless laugh as he scurries through the forest. He held Hisoka’s tag firmly in one hand while the other held his fishing rod tightly. Hisoka’s bloodlust had shaken Gon right to the very core, but he did not let any fear show through his features. He has to put on a brave face; Gon knows that’s what Hisoka likes and would likely lead said magician to chase him. Even if he’s shaking, even if he’s frightened, Gon would rather Hisoka come after him. He was able to save Leorio, and Gon is grateful for doing so. Gon even stole Hisoka’s tag to ensure the magician had a reason to chase him. So now the boy is running for his friend’s life, saving Leorio like he wished he could have done for Gittarackur.

Gon’s lips purse, upset over Gittarackur’s downfall. He tries hard to shake the man from his thoughts, focusing on not being captured by Hisoka instead. He’ll lose trail of the magician and go in search of Gittarackur; Gon’s goal is still set. 

Then, Gon’s heart jolts painfully. Gon emits a choked groan as his body stiffens, becoming heavy. Gon’s pupils shrink in panic as his limbs become numb.  _ What’s happening?!  _ He makes one step, two as he drops his rod and Hisoka’s tag to the dirt. On his third step, Gon’s legs give out as said boy falls to his face.  _ My body- I can’t…?  _ Gon attempts to move, but only manages to twitch a finger. 

Gon’s swallows thickly, panting lightly as his eyes dart towards a figure walking towards him.  _ Hisoka?!  _ Gon dreads, turning his head as best as he can towards the being.

“Next time, remember to watch your own back,” says hunter applicant 384, Geretta. 

* * *

Leorio skids to a stop, struggling for breath as he looks over his shoulder. He gulps, sweat dripping from his face. He’s somehow miraculously escaped from Hisoka’s clutches. Leorio can no longer feel the scorching bloodlust in the air. When the sinister atmosphere enveloped him, Leorio felt so overwhelmed, so frightful, so small. Leorio’s glad he was able to escape it, though, he isn’t in the clear yet. Hisoka may still come after him, and Leorio can’t defend himself or Kurapika with said friend in his comatose, so Leorio decides to make Kurapika’s safety his top priority.

Leorio strolls through the trees, constantly looking over his shoulder for the magician before finally finding what he was looking for. A tall, girthy, tree surrounded by full bushes. Leorio beams to himself as he steps through the bushes, hissing every so often by the thorns cutting away at his legs. He pushes through the leaves, digging until finally reaching the base of the tree. Squatting, Leorio gently lies Kurapika down on the dirt floor, careful not to scratch him with the bushes’ spikes.

“Leorio…?” Kurapika mumbles as his eyelids screw. Leorio sighs, thankful his friend is finally coming too.

“Hey, you’re finally waking up,” Leorio affirms, smiling down at his friend.

“What…happened?” Kurapika inquires groggily. 

“Hisoka happened,” Leorio briefly explained as he grabs Kurapika’s hand. He applies pressure to Kurapika’s index finger, giving it a tight pinch. “Can you feel this?” Kurapika’s face twists in discomfort, to which Leorio sighs thankfully. “Tell me where you are and your full name.”

Kurapika swallows his spit before answering, “I’m.. Kurapika of the Kur-ta clan... I’m in the hunter exam, competing in the fourth phase.”

Leorio nods before placing Kurapika’s hand back down. His hand reaches out behind him, searching for something before jolting in realization. Leorio curses, just remembering that he’s left his suitcase behind. Well, there’s no way he’s coming back for his case now. Hisoka may still be waiting for him.  _ Crap, Hisoka! _ Leorio looks around, and over his shoulder once again for the magician before looking back towards his friend.      


“Do you feel any pain, perhaps a headache, nausea?” Leorio asks. Leorio may not hold the title of being a doctor, but he’s done his research. Leorio had to make sure Kurapika wasn’t experiencing signs of trauma, such as numbness, slurred speech, persistent vomiting, and dilating pupils. Due to the darkness and shadowing of the leaves, Leorio can’t check for the last symptom, having left his flashlight in his suitcase. 

“I just feel sick is all...a… mild headache.” Kurapika gently flutters his eyes open, his vision jumping out at him like a children's pop up book. Kurapika closes his eyes instantly, feeling bile rise in the back of his throat. Kurapika swallows it down, taking deep breaths of fresh air. 

“You’re not showing any major signs of trauma, from what I see anyway. Rest easy and let it pass; don’t force yourself,” Leorio advises. He stands from his perched position and pushes the leaves to loom over Kurapika’s body.

“Leorio…?” Kurapika calls out once he heard the ruffling noises. 

“I’m going to leave you hidden for a while. Hisoka is after me, and I’ll be damned if I let him hurt you again.” As soon as Kurapika is out of view, Leorio is bustling out the shrubs. “I’ll be back, just stay put and focus on your breathing!” Leorio instructs once he’s out of the frond. He stands still, looking down at his ripped pants before his eyes shift towards the direction of the forest he escaped from Hisoka. Leorio bristles as Gon came to mind. Gon has more talent than Leorio could muster, so he know’s the younger can hold his own against Hisoka; but be that as it may, Leorio can’t help but fear for his friend’s life. His chest swells, not wanting to leave Kurapika in his condition, but he has to save Gon somehow. Besides, the clown is after him, not anyone else. Leorio will remind Hisoka of that.

“I’m sorry…!” Leorio mutters to Kurapika before running off to his inevitable death. 

Kurapika takes one long drag of air through his nose before letting it out through his mouth. He repeats this again, trying to focus on all his senses. The Kurta replays everything that’s happened up to this point. He and Leorio were traveling; the air soon became deadly and sinister, and the next thing he knew, everything went black. Kurapika’s headache worsened as he tried to search his memory. Kurapika takes this moment to recuperate instead, not wanting to hurt himself with all this thinking. He focuses on some of his senses. He can slightly hear the way the leaves ruffle together, he can feel the grass tickle at his fingertips, and he can smell the earth’s scent. Kurapika debated if he was good for now, but there’s no way for him to tell alone. 

Kurapika flutters his eyes open again, only to close them. His vision is still dancing but not as bad as before. He decides to give himself a moment's rest. Hopefully nothing will disturb him or try to attack him.

The air is still for the moment, as if not wanting to disturb Kurapika any further. The area became silent, aside from a few crickets. Looking past all the deadly intent that’s happening in the island, the night was serene and beautiful. Kurapika took slow breaths, focusing on himself, but then, the Kurta failed to hear the faint ruffling of the tree he’s residing on. The ruffling became louder and it wasn’t until now did Kurapika notice. The noise is coming from right in front of him.    
  
“Leorio?” Kurapika mutters hopefully. His heart is picking up speed in a small panic.  _ Not now. I can’t…  _ Kurapika grits his teeth, body tensing once he felt someone loom over him. It wasn’t Leorio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT NOTE FOR WRITERS: When ya knock someone unconscious, they’re suppose to wake up soon after. I did my research right after writing this scene and oops :^) I need Kurapika unconscious for a bit longer though. Knocking someone unconscious is never realistic in fiction anyway, so I’m good. AND ALSO THIS IS HXH, WHERE YA RUN FOR HOURS AND STILL REMAIN IN TIP TOP SHAPE. Note to always do your research before writing though! ;v; Don’t make this mistake! DON’T PULL AN AMARIE...  
> Anyway  
> I’m trying hard not to make this too OOC as possible.   
> Did I perhaps make gon too angsty? Blaming himself way too hard? I tried to add the same conflicting emotions he went through for (spoiler) when Kite was captured by the ants. Though, i will admit, him accepting death is a bit unrealistic. Maybe I over did it, or maybe I did just right? Let me know, or nah~. AND I TOTALLY REALIZED THAT HISOKA PROBABLY HEARD LEORIO REVEAL HIS AGE TO HIS FRIENDS WHEN THEY WERE RUNNING THE FIRST PHASE. Let’s pretend he didn’t hear that part~!   
> AND YEAH SORRY FOR THE DRAG.   
> I got busy with drawing and art commissions and life… btw, my commissions are open, just send me a message if ya interested :^) … *shameless self promo*   
> BUT YEAH TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE CHAPTER!
> 
> REMINDER: I'm not a frequent updater... and who knows when will be the next time i update. I won't make promise that it will be soon, but i will promise it wont take a month. I haven't started the next chapter yet, but i'm currently writing ideas for it. So please be patient with me!

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think will happen on Zevil Island? Will Hisoka seek out Leorio and take his tag? Why the hell is Killua so curious? Like really, why? And will Gon find out the truth about Gittarackur's needles?
> 
> Comment your thoughts!


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